MLB Game Preview - San Diego at NY Mets
Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:10 PM EDT

SD
0
NYM
4
F
STL
6
PIT
3
F
COL
8
WSH
7
F
NYY
3
BOS
19
F
MIN
10
CHW
3
F
CLE
5
KC
4
F(14)
TEX
11
OAK
3
F
BAL
10
LAA
8
F(16)
DET
2
SEA
10
F
After beating Syndergaard, Padres face Mets' deGrom next
Thu Jul 25, 2019 2:25 AM

Adding a starting pitcher may be something the San Diego Padres wind up doing by the July 31 trade deadline.

The Padres are linked to New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard, whom they faced Wednesday, but the next starting pitcher they oppose is unlikely to change uniforms.

After scoring four runs off Syndergaard, the visiting Padres get a crack at Jacob deGrom on Thursday afternoon when they oppose the Mets in the rubber game of a three-game series.

The Padres have just six wins in their past 19 games and are six games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild-card spot in the National League. They rebounded nicely from allowing three homers to Robinson Cano on Tuesday and evened the series by doing enough off Syndergaard in a 7-2 win on Wednesday.

Hunter Renfroe and Austin Hedges drove in two runs apiece. Fernando Tatis Jr. had three hits and is batting .370 (10-for-27) with two homers and eight RBIs in his last six games. Tatis' 26 multi-hit games are two behind Mets first baseman Pete Alonso for the league lead among rookies.

"He's nasty," Hedges said of Syndergaard. "I think the boys just rose to the challenge. He made some mistakes, walked some guys. We took advantage of some stuff on the bases. That's how you beat a guy like that."

The Mets are tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second-worst record in the National League and would fall 10 games under .500 if they lose Thursday. The Mets were a season-high 11 games under at 40-51 after July 12, but they won the next four. They enter Thursday with four losses in their past six games.

Two of those losses were partly due to misadventures by Dominic Smith. The novice left fielder allowed a popup to fall between him and shortstop Amed Rosario to give the San Francisco Giants a 1-0 win in the 10th inning Friday, and then he committed two errors in a three-run third for San Diego on Wednesday.

"I don't want to say altered your confidence, but it's very frustrating because we get here so early every day and put in so much work to be prepared for the game," Smith said. "You get your one or two chances and stuff like that happens, so it's very frustrating."

Besides attempting to rebound from Smith's misplays on defense, the Mets are hoping to put together a better showing at the plate. They mustered five hits, struck out 13 times and left the bases loaded twice Wednesday.

DeGrom, who signed a six-year contract extension in spring training, is coming off pitching seven scoreless innings Friday at San Francisco. He struck out 10 and allowed only three hits.

The right-hander is 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA in his last 11 starts, and the Mets are 3-8 in those games. During those games, deGrom has 87 strikeouts and 17 walks. The recent stretch resembles most of last season, when he was 10-9 with a 1.70 ERA and received less than two runs of support in 12 games.

Against San Diego, deGrom is 3-3 with a 1.79 ERA in seven career starts.

Eric Lauer (5-7, 4.31 ERA) will start for San Diego, seeking his first win since June 3. In his past six starts, Lauer is 0-3 with a 4.60 ERA. He last pitched Friday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, where he allowed five runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Lauer will make his second career start against the Mets. He allowed six runs in four innings on July 24, 2018, taking the loss as San Diego fell 6-3.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Team Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
San Diego            
NY Mets            

Scheduled Starting Pitchers

Eric Lauer - PIT
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. NY Mets
Jacob deGrom - TEX
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. San Diego

Hot Batters (Last 10 team games)

Injury Report

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