Mets at Pirates
New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard is starting to flash the form that had him above reigning Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom in the team's pecking order earlier in his career. The 26-year-old right-hander and his Mets look to hand the host Pittsburgh Pirates their seventh consecutive series loss in the rubber match of a three-game set on Sunday afternoon.
New York catcher Wilson Ramos drove in a career-high six runs and has 10 RBIs during a four-game streak after collecting four hits and coming up a triple shy of the cycle in Saturday's 7-5 victory. Robinson Cano had his third straight two-hit night and extended his hitting streak to four games as the Mets won for the eighth time in nine games to close within four of the second wild card. Pittsburgh's Starling Marte went deep for the second straight night to match his career high of 20 homers from last year and is 5-for-10 with six RBIs in the series. Rookie Bryan Reynolds has hit safely in all five meetings versus New York after going 4-for-4 on Saturday for the Pirates, who have lost 17 of 21 since the All-Star break.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (7-5, 4.10 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Joe Musgrove (8-9, 4.23)
Mentioned as a candidate to be traded at least week's deadline, Syndergaard gave the Mets more reason to feel good about keeping him in the fold by striking out a season-high 11 and allowing one unearned run to beat the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The stellar outing gave the 2016 All-Star a 1-1 record with a 1.91 ERA in four turns since the All-Star break, including 36 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. Syndergaard has made three starts against Pittsburgh, going 1-1 with a 1.77 ERA.
Musgrove has alternated wins and losses in his four starts since the All-Star break, picking up the victory Tuesday by allowing a pair of solo homers among five hits over six innings to beat Cincinnati. He was knocked around for six runs (five earned) and seven hits, including three homers, over five innings in a loss to St. Louis in his previous turn. Cano is 3-for-11 off Musgrove, who has faced the Mets twice in his career, giving up one run and seven hits in 9 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mets SS Amed Rosario is 5-for-8 in the series after collecting three hits Saturday.
2. Pirates RHP Keona Kela dropped his appeal and started serving his 10-game suspension Saturday.
3. New York RHP Seth Lugo was named the NL Reliever of the Month for July after tossing 12 2/3 scoreless innings.