Mets at Pirates
The New York Mets are the hottest team in baseball and have a chance to continue their momentum when they square off against the team mired in the worst slump in the majors. Winners of a season-high seven in a row, the Mets will continue their six-game road trip with the first of three against the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
On its longest winning streak since a nine-game run in April 2018, New York completed a three-game sweep with a 4-0 win at the Chicago White Sox on Thursday to improve to 13-4 in its last 17. Robinson Cano broke out of a 2-for-30 funk with a home run and a pair of RBIs to draw the Mets within two games of .500 for the first time since June 15. While New York maintained its wild-card drive, the Pirates have dropped 10 of 11 and lost six straight series, including a three-game sweep by the Mets last weekend. Pittsburgh, which is 3-16 since the All-Star break, learned Thursday that three players -- pitchers Keona Kela (10 games) and Kyle Crick (three) and infielder Jose Osuna (five) -- were suspended by Major League Baseball for their roles in a brawl Tuesday, although they are all appealing the bans.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (6-6, 4.32 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (3-4, 4.87)
Matz ended the first half with a pair of relief appearances but he has been solid since the All-Star break, picking up his first win since June 8 and notching the first shutout of his career against the Pirates last weekend. He has permitted four runs while striking out 17 and walking only two batters over 19 innings in his last three starts. Matz is 4-0 at Citi Field but has struggled away from home, posting a 2-6 record and woeful 6.40 ERA in 11 starts.
Williams turned in a strong performance last time out but came out on the short end of a decision against Matz and the Mets after giving up three runs and four hits over a season-high tying seven innings. It marked only the second quality start in the last 10 outings for the 27-year-old, who won 14 games a year ago and beat the Mets with six scoreless innings. Michael Conforto is 4-for-8 with a homer off Williams, who is allowing left-handed hitters to bat .329 against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. Conforto has homered four times in 10 games versus Pittsburgh in the past two seasons.
2. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle will serve the first of his two-game ban for the fracas on Friday night.
3. Mets 1B Pete Alonso, the Home Run Derby champ, is 2-for-20 in his last five games.