MMO Game Thread: Mets vs Marlins, Game 2, 9:40

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 • 9:40 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Seth Lugo(1-3, 5.76) vs. RHP Trevor Rogers (0-2, 5.91)
SNY • MLBN • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

The Mets finish off their first crazy day of this crazy week of baseball with some big question marks for the starting pitchers. For the Mets, Seth Lugo joins the rotation bumping Steven Matz to the bullpen. Of course, this was all planned before the Covid-19 cancelled games and the Mets are going to need as many arms as possible this week. It’s very possible that Matz starts one of the remaining seven games in the next five days. The Marlins starter is Trevor Rogers, who is making his MLB debut.

After dropping the first game of this double-header, the Mets will look to get back on track against Miami in Game 2.

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo – CF
2. J.D. Davis – 3B
3. Michael Conforto – RF
4. Pete Alonso – DH
5. Dominic Smith – 1B
6. Jeff McNeil – LF
7. Amed Rosario – SS
8. Luis Guillorme – 2B
9. Ali Sanchez – C

Marlins Lineup

1. Jon Berti – CF
2. Jesus Aguilar– DH
3. Corey Dickerson – LF
4. Brian Anderson – 3B
5. Lewin Diaz – 1B
6. Jonathan Villar – SS
7. Logan Forsythe – 2B
8. Jesus Sanchez – RF
9. Brian Navarreto – C

Seth Lugo, who has been tremendously successful as a reliever, will be starting the night cap and joining the rotation for the foreseeable future. Lugo made his first mark on the Mets as a starter in 2016 and was a big reason for Puerto Rico’s success in the following World Baseball Classic.

Still, the Mets bullpen feels significantly weaker without him in it. Through 10.1 innings over nine games this year, he has a 2.61 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 0.968 WHIP and a 168 ERA+. In his career he has a 3.25 ERA and a 1.120 WHIP. As a starter he has a 4.06 ERA with a 1.307 WHIP (of course – this is skewed towards the start of his career). The Marlins have the following numbers against Lugo:

• Jesus Aguilar 2-3
• Jorge Alfaro 2-7
• Brian Anderson 3-13, 3 K
• Jon Berti 0-0, BB
• Lewis Brinson 1-4, 2 K
• Corey Dickerson 0-4, BB, 2 K
• Logan Forsythe 0-3, K

The Mets will see yet another pitcher make their major league debut tonight – Trevor Rogers. Rogers was the 13th overall pick in 2017 and is ranked as the Marlins No. 9 prospect by MLB.com.

The 22-year-old pitched in High-A ball last season making 19 starts and tossing 110.1 innings with an ERA of 2.53. He was then moved to AA where he made five starts and pitched 26 innings with a 4.50 ERA.

Let’s Go Mets!