The schedule is about to get harder for the New York Mets.
But maybe that’s what they need to remain in the National League wild-card race.
The Mets will begin a key stretch on Monday night when they host the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
David Peterson (7-1, 3.04 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against fellow left-hander Trevor Rogers (2-11, 4.89).
On Sunday afternoon, both teams continued stretches of 13 consecutive games without an off day. The Mets missed a chance to sweep the Miami Marlins in a three-game set by falling 3-2. The Orioles salvaged a split of a four-game series by beating the Boston Red Sox 4-2.
With their loss and a 3-1 win by the Braves later Sunday, the Mets enter Monday trailing Atlanta by two games for the final wild-card spot in the NL.
The series against the Orioles, who are tied with the New York Yankees atop the American League East, begins a 10-game stretch in which New York faces teams currently occupying a playoff spot.
After playing host to Baltimore, the Mets will hit the road for four games against the San Diego Padres and three against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the NL’s other wild-card teams.
“Sometimes, when you’re playing teams that aren’t necessarily in it, they’re free and easy and just playing and whatever happens, happens,” said Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who is undergoing an MRI on Monday after exiting Sunday’s game with a sore right shoulder. “When you play teams that are in it, every pitch matters. So it’s going to be more like playoff baseball here.”
The Orioles are also beginning a stretch against contenders on Monday. After visiting New York, Baltimore hosts the AL West-leading Houston Astros in a four-game series before visiting the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers for three games.
Since July 1, the Orioles have played just 10 games against teams currently holding a playoff spot. Baltimore dropped series against the Yankees and Padres before splitting a four-game set with the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians from Aug. 1-4.
All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman provided a timely and much-needed offensive boost on Sunday for the Orioles, who were held to five hits in a 5-1 loss on Saturday and collected just three hits a day later — their fewest in a victory since April 23, 2023.
But Rutschman, who didn’t play on Friday due to lower back discomfort, homered to snap a scoreless tie in the fifth inning on Sunday. It was his first long ball since July 19.
“It’s nice to be able to play — it sucks not to play,” Rutschman said. “Nice to get runs on the board and nice to see a ball leave the park.”
Peterson earned a win last Wednesday, when he gave up one unearned run over 6 1/3 innings as the Mets beat the Oakland Athletics 9-1. He is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against the Orioles.
Rogers remained winless with the Orioles last Tuesday, when he took a loss after surrendering five runs over five-plus innings in a 9-3 setback against the Washington Nationals. He is 0-2 with a 7.53 ERA in three starts since being acquired from the Marlins on July 30.
In nine career starts against the Mets, Rogers is 2-3 with a 3.35 ERA.
–Field Level Media
