Larry Ness
Jul 11 '18, 7:10 PM in 8h
MLB | Phillies vs Mets
Play on: Mets -157 at 5Dimes
My Bonus Play is on the NY Mets at 7:10 ET. Philadelphia won 7-3 last night in Queens against the Mets and has now won 10 of its last 13 contests to climb back into first place in the National League East at 51-39, one game ahead of Atlanta. It marks the first time the Phillies have been in first place after July 1 since 2011, when they won the last of five straight division titles. Meanwhile, the 36-53 Mets are battling the 38-56 Marlins in an effort to stay out of the division's basement. New York has scored just eight runs while losing four of its last five games overall and takes the field tonight having lost 19 of its last 23 at home in Citi Field.
Vince Velasquez (5-8, 4.69 ERA) takes the mound for Philly for his first start since landing on the 10-day disabled list after getting drilled on the right forearm by a line drive. Velasquez won three consecutive starts (May 5-17) but has just one win over his last eight outings (he's 1-4 and the Phils are 2-6). Philly's 26-year-old will take a 1-3 record with a 4.61 ERA in six career starts against the Mets in tonight's series finale.
Jacob deGrom (5-4, 1.79 ERA) will make his last scheduled start prior to the All-Star Game as the New York Mets bid to salvage a split of their four-game series against the visiting Phillies. DeGrom is the Mets' lone representative in the Midsummer Classic but he's been plagued by a lack of offensive support, leaving him with just five wins and a team record of 7-11, minus-$748), despite leading the majors with a 1.79 ERA. A perfect example was deGrom's most recent start when he allowed just one run on four hits over eight innings against Tampa Bay last Friday. but settling for a no-decision in a 5-1 New York win. More hard-luck evidence is revealed in that despite allowing just 15 runs in 64 innings over his last nine starts, deGrom owns just a 1-4 record (Mets are 2-7!).
I played deGrom in his last outing (New York won on a walk-off grand slam in the 9th) and I'll back him again here, as he squares off against a much inferior mound opponent in Velasquez. It doesn't hurt that deGrom is 6-1 with a 2.74 ERA in 12 career starts against the Phillies. Take New York.
Good luck...Larry