Indians at Mets
Pete Alonso looks to follow up breaking the National League single-season home run mark for a rookie by etching his name in the franchise record books. Alonso aims to do precisely that on Tuesday as the New York Mets begin a nine-game homestand with the first of three contests versus the Cleveland Indians.
Alonso belted his 40th homer in Sunday's 11-5 victory over Kansas City to move within one of tying Todd Hundley and Carlos Beltran for the single-season club record. The 24-year-old Alonso is 11-for-17 with two homers, 10 RBIs and four runs scored in his last four contests for the Mets, who have won 18 of their last 23 to reside within striking distance of the NL's second wild card. Cleveland has lost four of its last six, however it salvaged a split of its four-game series against the New York Yankees due in large part to the hot hitting of Oscar Mercado. The speedy rookie answered a demoralizing 2-for-23 stretch by going 9-for-18 during his current five-game hitting streak.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, STO (Cleveland), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Shane Bieber (12-5, 3.27 ERA) vs. Mets LH Steven Matz (7-7, 4.33)
Bieber fell to 3-2 in his last five starts, despite allowing two runs or fewer in all of them, with two solo homers accounting for the entirety of his damage in a 5-1 setback versus Boston on Wednesday. The 24-year-old has struggled with the home-run ball, permitting six in his last four contests after yielding just one in his previous eight. Bieber has excelled on the road with an 8-2 mark and 2.77 ERA while limiting the opposition to just a .181 batting average.
Matz sports a 3.06 ERA in his last six starts after allowing one run on two hits over six innings in a no-decision at Atlanta last Wednesday. The 28-year-old has put his best foot forward in his home state, posting a 5-0 mark with a 2.14 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts) this season as opposed a 2-7 record with a 6.28 ERA in 13 starts outside of New York. Matz, who has flustered Yasiel Puig (0-for-10, three strikeouts) and Carlos Santana (2-for-12), scattered three hits and struck out nine over seven scoreless innings to win his lone career start against Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Santana is 23-for-59 with six homers, 18 RBIs and 18 runs scored in his last 17 games.
2. New York SS Amed Rosario is 14-for-24 with six runs scored in his last five contests.
3. While playing for Cincinnati, Puig went 1-for-16 with seven strikeouts in a four-game series against the Mets on April 29-May 2.