Philadelphia @ New York preview
Citi Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 21, 2025 ) Philadelphia 4, NY Mets 5
Francisco Lindor led off the past two games with homers, positive omens for the New York Mets, who are tied for the major leagues' best record going into their Tuesday home game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
New York opened the three-game series with a 5-4 win on Tuesday, getting two long balls from Lindor. In addition to his first-inning shot, he belted a three-run homer in the seventh inning to put the Mets up 5-0 en route to their fifth win in a row.
Lindor now has four homers in his past four games. He followed up a 3-for-5 effort on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals by going 2-for-3 with a walk on Monday.
"He's free in a way where it's like, 'You know what? I'm just going to be myself,' " Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "That's what he's doing right now, and he's getting results. ...
"He wants to contribute so hard, and he wants it so bad for the team that at times, I feel like he can get in his own way. I feel like now, he's more like, 'I've just got to be myself.' That's what he's doing right now, and he's getting a lot of results."
Lindor will hope the results continue to come on Tuesday against Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez (2-0, 2.96 ERA), who is coming off a dominant outing Thursday in a 6-4 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Sanchez fanned 12 in seven innings, allowing just four hits and three runs (two earned) while issuing only one walk. He's 2-2 with a 3.62 ERA in nine career outings, six of them starts, against the Mets.
While Sanchez and the Philadelphia rotation, aside from struggling Aaron Nola (0-5, 6.43 ERA), has done solid work, the bullpen has been inconsistent. Closer Jose Alvarado has five saves, while Matt Strahm (1.74 ERA) and Tanner Banks (2.70) have been sources of satisfaction.
But the bullpen's remainder? Former Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano has been rocked to the tune of a 15.26 ERA in nine outings. Overall, the group's ERA is 5.80 and it leads MLB with six blown saves, numbers that don't yet concern manager Rob Thomson.
"I don't," he said when asked if he thinks the Phillies have a bullpen problem. "Because it's still a small sample size. I know we have really good arms, really good stuff out there. We've got to keep working at it, keep grinding through it."
The Monday game, which saw Jose Ruiz and his 6.75 ERA give up Lindor's three-run blast, likely didn't assuage the concerns of Philadelphia fans. It was the Phillies' second straight defeat.
The Mets will counter Sanchez with Griffin Canning (2-1, 3.43 ERA). The right-hander is coming off a 4-1 win on Thursday against St. Louis in which he struck out eight over six innings while allowing just three hits, two walks and a run.
Canning has faced Philadelphia just once in his career, when he emerged with a no-decision for the Los Angeles Angels on April 29, 2024. In five innings, he allowed four runs on three hits and five walks with one strikeout.
--Field Level Media