The Mets are trying to stop the bleeding on Sunday afternoon, and Freddy Peralta is at the center of it.
New York sends the two-time All-Star to the mound against the Dodgers in the finale of the three-game set at Citi Field, with first pitch set for 1:40 p.m. Peralta’s first season in New York has been rough enough to shake the confidence that has followed him through his career, as he comes in at 5-9 with a 5.01 ERA. With the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaching, his next stretch could matter a lot if he’s going to show anything close to the form that made him an All-Star twice.
Mets interim manager Andy Green said he wants Peralta back in the mindset of expecting to dominate and being able to handle adversity when it hits.
"You're going to get punched at some point in time today and our ability to take that with resilience and conviction separates the results by the end of the day," Green said. "It gives us what we're after.
I don't think collectively we can look at ourselves in the mirror and say we've done a good job at that. We have to get better at that."
That’s the backdrop for a Mets team that is trying to avoid both a sweep and a fourth straight loss. At 43-62, New York is sitting at its low point of the season.
The challenge is a big one, even if the Dodgers are bringing their own issues to the mound. Los Angeles, MLB’s top team at 67-38, will start Emmet Sheehan, who enters with a 4-7 record and a 5.13 ERA.
How to watch: SNY has the TV broadcast, and the game is also available on MLB.TV.
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The bigger problem for the Mets is that the production has not followed the health. In 25 games, Polanco is hitting .149 with one home run and a .431 OPS, a line that makes any kind of midseason escape route complicated even before the contract is factored in. If the Mets are going to find a way out of the gamble, they may need a market willing to bet on a rebound rather than the player he has been so far. [Read more 🡒]