Vientos (hand) joined the Mets in Tampa on Monday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list during the team's upcoming three-game series versus the Rays, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Realmuto went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Angels.
Kerkering picked up the save Sunday against the Angels. He allowed one run on two hits and no walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings.
Wheeler (11-5) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and three walks over six innings against the Angels. He struck out six.
Ewing went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Astros.
Thornton allowed two runs on six hits and a hit batsman while striking out five and walking none over five innings in a no-decision versus the Astros on Sunday.
Lindor went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Astros.
Marsh is out of the lineup for Sunday's game with the Angels.
Crawford is absent from the lineup for Philadelphia's game with the Angels on Sunday.
Turner went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 4-2 extra-inning win over the Angels.
We like runs to be scored in the opening game of the second half of the season. Christian Scott has been solid for the Mets, but he’s gone five innings or less in eight of 10 starts, and never made it six. Aaron Nola has been bad everywhere but way worse at home (6.81 ERA in eight starts). It’s possible neither pitcher goes more than give innings. Expect runs to be scored when moves are made; these have been the worst two bullpens in July, the Phillies boasting an 8.05 ERA, the Mets at 9.61. Teams are hitting .335 off Mets relievers for the month! In July, the Mets’ road OPS is .787, the Phillies at home are .860, solid marks.
Aaron Nola faced the Mets in mid-June and gave up seven hits across five innings and threw 90+ pitches, so they were able to work counts and record more than a hit per inning. The Mets and Phillies have Friday off, plus they just had the All-Star break, so there really is no need to put themselves in a bad spot here to lose a game because they need to keep Nola in for workload purposes. The bullpen should be ready to go and with the extra time off, I'm anticipating they try to work a few guys in, leaving Nola with a bit of a shorter runway. A bit of a speculative pick, but worth a shot with little MLB to bet on today.
The Mets' Juan Soto has hit .290 this season with 21 homers, and apparently, everyone else isn't hitting, as the Mets have only won 40 games and sit in last place. Soto hasn't hit a home run in his last three games against the Red Sox, but four games ago against the Royals, he went deep. In six games against the Phillies this season, he has seven hits in 19 at-bats, two home runs, and six walks. I think the Mets are going to take this game, and Soto would be the perfect send-off for the Mets offense, showing themselves that they're back for business in the second half. Aaron Nola is starting for Philly. Soto to hit a home run.
Christian Scott is playing his best baseball during his second full year starting for the Mets. He comes off one of his best outings of the season against the Royals, allowing no runs in five innings of a 6-2 Mets win. Three starts ago, the Mets beat the Phillies 6-2 with Scott allowing two runs. The Mets have won five of his last six starts, and I think they jump-start the second half with an immediate win against the Phillies. The Mets have 40 wins on the season, 16 games back of the Braves in the NL East, while the Phillies have won 54 games and are only two back. I think the Mets can take solace in what the Red Sox are doing.
DraftKings / Caesar’s. With only one game on the docket for Thursday, we might as well jump on this line early. Aaron Nola is under this line in 14/19 starts, including all eight home outings, where his ERA is 6.81. His pitch efficieny takes a nosedive against lefties, as his walk rate balloons to 10.8%, and his pitches per plate appearance 4.20. The Mets likely start 6-7 lefties, and had been hitting well (although nothing is given coming out of the break). But Nola has lost the trust of Don Mattingly, as he’s been pulled at 86 pitches or less in seven of his last eleven starts.
I'm not so sure that Phils manager Don Mattingly doesn't rest Kyle Schwarber and/or Bryce Harper after they competed in both Monday's and Tuesday's All-Star activities and then with Friday off for the Phils. Those two didn't get an AS break other than Wednesday. Plus, both bullpens are obviously fully rested behind the Mets' Christian Scott and Phillies' Aaron Nola, respectively. Scott has been pretty good; Nola hasn't but not quite as horrible lately. We push, we push.
Sports betting isn’t just about analyzing matchups and picking a side or total, etc. There are proven systems that consistently deliver results over time. One I’ve trusted for many years focuses on the All-Star Game host team, which always plays at home right after the break. Since 2002, these teams are just 8-15, including a 2-6 mark since 2017. The only recent winners: the 2022 Dodgers and the 2025 Braves. I like the Mets’ Christian Scott against Aaron Nola, but with these systems, you set it and forget it. This approach has paid off, especially since most of these teams are underdogs. Additionally, all of the host teams have played on Friday, but this year the Phillies have to play on Thursday.
