MLB’s Sunday schedule concludes with an NL East clash between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
Surging Phillies Go for Sweep Against Slumping Mets
MLB’s Sunday schedule concludes with an NL East clash between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. The Phillies have won the first two games of this series and four in a row overall, keeping them very much in the MLB playoff race. Meanwhile, the Mets are just hoping to avoid getting swept at home for a second straight series with their playoff hopes all but dead.
According to BetUS, the Mets are slight favorites to avoid the sweep on Sunday night with a moneyline of -120, while Philadelphia’s moneyline is listed at +110. The over/under for the game is set at 8.5 runs.
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Opposite Directions
A week ago, the Phillies were in the middle of losing six of seven games, with their playoff hopes quickly fading. But four straight wins combined with four straight losses by Atlanta have brought the Phils back into contention. They are now just one game behind the Braves and 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot and will play their next eight games against teams with losing records before a head-to-head series with Atlanta.
Meanwhile, the Mets are in the midst of a five-game losing streak and have lost eight of their last ten games. That stretch has taken them five games under .500 and effectively out of the playoff race. They are now 5.5 games behind Atlanta and seven games out of a Wild Card spot, so winning the rest of their 13 games might be the only thing that can save them.
King of the Hill
Veteran Rich Hill will do his best to help the Mets end their losing streak on Sunday. The 41-year-old is 0-3 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 appearances since being traded to the Mets. He’s looked good in September, pitching to a 2.12 ERA over his three starts, although that has not translated into wins for him or the Mets.
On Sunday, Hill will have to face a Philadelphia lineup that could be hitting its stride at the right time of the season. The Phillies have averaged eight runs per game during their current four-game winning streak, with presumptive MVP Bryce Harper leading the way. Jean Segura, Freddy Galvis, and J.T. Realmuto are also red-hot, with Segura hitting two home runs on Saturday, providing Harper with a little support.
Not Our Ace
Kyle Gibson is set to start Sunday’s game for the Phillies. Gibson was acquired at the trade deadline to give the Phillies another ace at the top of their rotation, only to go 4-4 with a 4.85 ERA over his first nine appearances. He isn’t even eating up a lot of innings, giving up 15 runs over 15 innings of work across three starts in September.
Of course, the Mets are just the team to help Gibson get himself back on track. The Mets have scored just three runs in each of the first two games of this series and have now scored three runs or less in six of their last 12 games. The tandem of Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez is doing a bulk of the work right now, but the rest of the New York lineup has gone cold this week.
Bust Out the Brooms
On paper, it makes sense for the Mets to be slight favorites in this game, but it’s also hard to feel confident in them, given how they’ve played lately. The Phillies are doing all of the right things and should find a way to get some runs against either Hill or the New York bullpen. Meanwhile, the Mets are turning losing into an art form down the stretch, so bet on the Phillies to win as underdogs on Sunday night.
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