PHILADELPHIA - The Phillies (84-60) and Mets (76-68) are on two ends of the playoff spectrum heading into Tuesday night's game, the second of their four-game set at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia at 6:45 p.m.
Philadelphia is sitting comfortably atop the NL East with an eight-game lead over the second-place Mets. Meanwhile. New York is clutching on to the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League with the Giants three games behind them.
Pitching Matchup: LHP Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.60 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suárez (11-6, 2.89 ERA)
A pair of southpaws take the mound Tuesday night. Manaea, who signed a three-year $75 million contract to stay with the Mets, However, the first year of the big contract has not had a great return on investment. Manaea went down with an oblique injury during Spring Training. While working his way back from the injury in the summer, he had a setback with a loose body in his left elbow.
Since returning from the injured list and joining the Mets' rotation on July 13, Manaea has posted a 5.60 ERA in 45 innings in 10 starts. However, he has positioned New York to win each of his last three starts against Philadelphia, most recently on August 26 when the Mets swept the Phillies at Citi Field and in Game 3 of the 2024 NLCS. In his last five starts against the Phillies, he has allowed three earned runs or less in four of them.
Since his tough start at Cincinnati where he gave up six runs on 10 hits, Suárez has returned to his usual self in terms of limiting offenses. In his last four starts, the left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in 24 2/3 innings with 27 strikeouts to just three walks, allowing three earned runs during that span. In his last start at Milwaukee, he blanked the Brewers over six strong innings in a 2-0 win.
From the skipper
Rob Thomson said there is no date set for Zack Wheeler's thoracic outlet decompression surgery.
https://twitter.com/OnPattison/status/1965508060287582583
Brandon Marsh was out of the lineup Monday battling the flu and Thomson said that Marsh is "feeling a little bit better today, but he's still feeling it."
Thomson did say that the outfielder could be available to pinch hit tonight, if needed.
Harrison Bader is batting leadoff on Tuesday after Bryce Harper took over the top spot in the lineup with Trea Turner going down with his Grade 1 hamstring strain. This will be first start this season where Bader leads off for his team, and just the 15th time he has done so in his career.
