The New York Mets have dropped six consecutive games and have fallen to 7-10 after losing its series opener with the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0.
The New York Mets have hit a lull over the past week and have lost six straight games, falling to 7-10 on the young season.
After the Mets appeared to hit a stride with a four-game winning streak to take control of first place in the National League East with a 7-4 record, New York’s offense went quiet and has been outscored 34-9 over its past six games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the latest victor over the Mets after shutting out New York 4-0 on Monday night. The Mets tallied just three hits in the series opener and didn’t draw a single walk as Los Angeles left-handers Justin Wrobleski and Tanner Scott stifled the offense.
Wrobleski had the best start of his career, throwing eight shutout innings of two-hit ball with two strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 2.12 and his WHIP to 0.76.
Mets lefty David Peterson did his best to solve Major League Baseball’s top offense, but he still allowed four runs on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Peterson is now 0-3 with a 6.41 ERA and 1.83 WHIP through 19.2 innings and his time in the starting rotation could be coming to an end soon.
With the Mets desperately needing a stopper, the team turns to rookie sensation Nolan McLean to take on Dodgers righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto in hopes of tying the series. McLean is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across 16.2 innings while Yamamoto is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over 18 innings.
McLean received tons of praise and attention during the offseason and during the World Baseball Classic for good reason: the guy can pitch. He hasn’t been as clean as he’d hoped through three starts, but he has pitched great, nonetheless.
Against the Pittsburgh Pirates, McLean threw five innings of two-run ball on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. He then threw 5.1 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks with four punchouts against the San Francisco Giants before going 6.1 innings while allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Yamamoto has completed six innings in all three of his starts to begin the season. He allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts against the Diamondbacks, two runs on four hits and one walk with two strikeouts against the Cleveland Guardians and one run on five hits and one walk with six punchouts against the Toronto Blue Jays in a World Series rematch.
If the Dodgers score a couple of runs in the early going, it may be smooth sailing for Yamamoto.
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.