3 bold predictions for NY Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies

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When the New York Mets travel to Philadelphia for a three-game weekend series, it will be a meeting of two teams headed in opposite directions. The Phillies enter the series having gone 13-4 since June 3rd, while the Mets are 4-12 in that same span. The Braves and Marlins have also been hot, leaving the Mets a distant fourth in a crowded NL East.

The Mets aren't just losing, it's the way they seem to go out of their way to lose that is driving Mets fans insane. In dropping two of three to the Astros this week, the team's quality of play was so bad that the only thing missing was a sponsorship from Chico's Bail Bonds on their jerseys.

The rubber match against the Astros was the cherry on top of the sundae of sadness. Omar Narvaez did nothing to warm Mets fans up to the idea of him sharing time with Francisco Alvarez, committing catcher's interference, failing to stop two wild pitches, and getting punched out on a clock violation, all while allowing four stolen bases from behind the plate.

The Mets' June comedy of errors was somehow summed up in a single afternoon. Tylor Megill couldn't find the plate. Pete Alonso short-circuited a golden opportunity in the first inning by running out of the baseline. Brandon Nimmo made yet another out on the basepath. Adam Ottavino and Josh Walker each botched plays in the field. When Jeff McNeil fouled a ball off his own knee, it embodied the pain this team has been inflicting on everyone all month long.

There's no getting around it: the Mets are dreadful right now. Watching them fall all over themselves game after game is a punishment that, as far as I know, is not against the Geneva Convention, but it should be. A series against a division rival could provide the perfect opportunity to get back on track, but there's nothing in the way the Mets are playing that suggests they can muster a positive result.

Even though we aren't quite at the halfway point of the season, it feels like do-or-die time for the Mets. Can they remember how to play good baseball, or will it be more of the same? Let's make some predictions.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Phillies DH Bryce Harper combine for at least three home runs

Would you believe me if I told you that Bryce Harper hasn't hit a home run since May 25th? No? Well it's true, and we have to work on our trust issues. The Phillies slugger has been battling a wicked power outage of late, but rumor has it that the Mets' pitching has curative powers.

Harper has hit 34 home runs against the Mets in his career, and that number figures to increase this weekend. Only two teams have given up more long balls than the Mets: the Rockies, who play a mile above sea level, and the A's, who are tanking their way to Las Vegas in a move that would make Rachel Phelps jealous.

Francisco Lindor's batting average may not show it, but his swing has shown signs of coming alive recently. He drove in six runs in the three games against the Astros, and he has two home runs in his last four games, with several other well-hit balls that died on the warning track.

Look for Harper and Lindor to put on a show in front of the Philly faithful.

Expect a lot of runs from the Mets and Phillies

In the only previous meeting this season between these two teams, the Mets swept the Phillies in three low-scoring contests. It seems like a long time ago that the Mets had any experience with the handle of the broom, as they've gotten the bristles twice since then.

The probable pitchers slated to take the mound might lead one to believe that another offensively challenged series is in the offing, but don't be fooled. Max Scherzer looked great last outing, but his inconsistency this season has been the most consistent thing about him. Kodai Senga has performed poorly on the road. Carlos Carrasco got roughed up by the Cardinals his last time out, and if his ERA was measured by the Richter scale, rescue teams would still be sifting through the rubble.

Until yesterday's 5-1 loss to the Braves (a game that was 0-0 entering extra innings), the Phillies hadn't surrendered more than four runs in any of their last seven games, but even with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, and Ranger Suarez scheduled to pitch, the Mets offense is hot right now. Runs for both sides should come early and often, and it isn't likely that we see a pitching battle.

The Mets managed the rare feat of coming away with only one win after scoring 21 runs in a three-game series against Houston. If you're the gambling type, bet the over.

The Phillies sweep the Mets

It brings me no joy to write this. I'll be in attendance on Sunday for the series finale, and there's nothing I'd like to see more than a Mets win. There comes a point, though, when reality has to be accepted.

The Mets stink right now, and not in a slightly unpleasant way. This is the kind of scent that makes you pull your shirt over your face and run out of the room. The shame of it all is that the team is hitting, but it hasn't been enough when paired with starters that can't stop walking opposing batters and giving up home runs, a bullpen that is running on fumes, and a defense that has regressed since April.

Nothing sums up the Mets current situation better than this tweet from Steve Gelbs after the loss on Wednesday.

FINAL: Astros 10, Mets 8

The Mets have scored 7+ runs seven times in their last 22 games.

They are 1-6 in those games.
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) June 21, 2023

I consider myself an optimistic Mets fan, but even I am having trouble coping right now. I'm still on the bandwagon, it's just that I cover my face when another car drives by. Maybe this prediction will be a reverse jinx, or maybe I'll be driving home from Philly on Sunday full of cheesesteak and regret. It's prove it time, Mets. Show us what you're made of.

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