Phillies (42-49) vs. Mets (48-41)
7:05 p.m. on NBC10
Jerad Eickhoff makes his first start of the second half for the Phillies against Logan Verrett, who's been thrusted into the starting rotationg amid a rash of injuries to the Mets' staff.
Here's what you should look for before first pitch.
1. Ignore the losses
Jerad Eickhoff leads MLB in one category: losses. But that stat ultimately means little when you consider the 26-year-old righty gets a meager 3.28 run support average, seventh least among qualified starters.
Eickhoff, in fact, has been incredibly consistent outside of a poor start in Colorado a week ago. There is nowhere worse to pitch than high altitude, such as the mile high Coors Field. Furthermore, Eickhoff produced four shutout innings before a home run (albeit to the opposing pitcher) and a bad sixth inning did him in.
When you look beyond the six-run sixth inning against the Rockies, you see a second-year pitcher putting together a remarkably consistent stretch in his first full season. He had given up no more than three runs in each of his previous seven starts before last Saturday.
The righty has faced the Mets already this season, taking on the homer-happy lineup twice in his first three starts. His first start of the year came at Citi Field, giving up three runs (two earned) in five innings, before holding the lineup once again to two runs but over seven innings 10 days later at Citizens Bank Park. The second start came with nine strikeouts and he allowed five hits in both games.
Philadelphia Phillies
Complete coverage of the Fightin' Phils and their MLB rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Despite just four earned runs over the two starts, he took the loss both times. But this time, he faces a Mets team dealing with plenty of injuries.
2. A rotation under siege
The Mets' pitching staff was torn apart by injuries just before the All Star break and the team is still recovering from the after effects.
Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard were essential to the Mets' deep postseason run in 2015, but they had opposite starts to 2016. The 23-year-old Syndergaard has taken the next step to being the Mets' ace of the future. He has a 2.56 ERA in over 100 innings this year, striking out 10.9 batters per nine innings en route to his first All Star nod.
Harvey, meanwhile, looked lost on the mound. In 92⅔ innings, Harvey had an unseemly 4.86 ERA, tying Eickhoff for the MLB lead with 10 losses. His losses were well earned though. His walk rate and strikeout rates are both worse compared to his prior two full seasons, while his hit rate went through the roof, allowing 10.8 hits per nine innings.
But both Syndergaard and Harvey find themselves with similar issues: arm injuries. Harvey's disappointing season is at an end thanks to surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. Instead of seeing Harvey pitch in the World Series this October/November, fans are now questioning whether we'll ever see the dominant "Dark Knight" that New York had grown to love.
Syndergaard has a much better outlook to the rest of his season beyond the simple fact he has a rest of this season. He left his last start before the break with arm fatigue, but reportedly feels much better and will start Tuesday against the Cubs. The Phillies get lucky that his start to the second half gets delayed past the first series.
Regardless, thanks both to those injuries to the rotation and some to their offense (namely Lucas Duda, David Wright and less serious injury to Yoenis Cespedes), the Mets have fallen into a tie for second place and a return to the postseason is far from guaranteed.
3. Scouting Logan Verrett
Verrett has thrived as the Mets' swing man for the last two seasons, going in and out of the rotation when they need to rest starters or someone goes down with an injury.
But don't mix up Verrett with the Mets' young core of future aces. He is a former third-round pick by the Mets, yet that didn't stop them from allowing Verrett to be chosen in the 2014 Rule 5 draft. He was returned early in the 2015 season and has moved between the Mets' bullpen, rotation and Triple A affliate ever since.
The righty has four career appearances against the Phillies. He made one start and one relief appearance. He started against the Phils in April, spreading six hits and a walker over six innings, keeping the Phillies scoreless and striking out four. It didn't hurt that he got plenty of run support in the 11-1 win.
But Verrett now has a 4.34 ERA over 56 innings. He's a far cry from that 0.52 ERA he sported in April.
What can the Phillies' batters expect from him Saturday? His most frequent pitches are a four-seam fastball in the low 90s and a mid-80s slider, mixing in a sinker, changeup and curveball, too.
4. Players to watch
Phillies: Before Friday, Freddy Galvis had two hits in five consecutive games dating back to July 6. In seven plate appearances gainst Verrett, Galvis has two hits and a walk.
Mets: Right-handed pitchers in a hitters' park can be a dream for players like Curtis Granderson. Better news for Granderson? He has plenty of experience against Eickhoff with 13 plate appearances over the last two years. Worse news? He has just one hit, albeit a home run, and two walks off the righty.
5. This and that
• The Mets' hitter who hits Eickhoff the best? Outfielder Michael Conforto, who has five hits, including a homer, and two walks in 15 plate appearances. Lucky for Eickhoff, the young slugger is in Triple A right now.
• Cespedes is 2 for 12 against Eickhoff with a triple and four strikeouts. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is 3 for 5 with a double against him.
• Odubel Herrera has a walk and hit-by-pitch but no hits in seven times at the plate against Verrett. Andres Blanco is 3 for 5 with a double against him (Yes, the same line as Cabrera has vs. Eickhoff).
• After the Friday night win, the Mets hold a 51-31 edge over the Phillies since the start of 2012.
