Mets hope to regain Grimace vibes in series against Cubs

Well, it had to happen at some point. Fresh off their Grimace Era™️ loss, the Mets (35-38) look to get back on track with a three-game set against the Cubs (36-39). The two clubs are only a few percentage points – er, percentage point – apart in the tightly-packed NL Wild Card race, one game behind the Padres for the final spot. These two teams faced off at Citi Field earlier this year and split four games.

The Mets have won two of three games against the defending World Series champion Rangers in Arlington. They picked up their sixth straight win on Tuesday with a 14-2 victory over Texas, with New York setting a season-high 22 hits, including three-hit games by Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez and a four-hit game by Francisco Lindor.

The Mets won their seventh straight game with an improbable 7-6 victory on Tuesday night. The Mets trailed 6-2 before scoring in each of the final five frames to surprise the Rangers. The opening goal came in the ninth inning on an Alonso double that put the Mets ahead for the first time since they were up 2-1. Edwin Díaz sealed the deal in the ninth inning to seal the win.

The series finally ended on Wednesday with a 5-3 loss as Texas avoided the sweep. Alonso hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Mets the lead for the first time, but the Rangers fought back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Leody Taveras then hit a home run off Drew Smith in the seventh inning to give Texas the lead for good.

Despite the loss, this was the Mets’ 11th win in just four losses this month, which is quite surprising for a team that usually gets chilly in June when the weather warms up. This winning streak coincided with Alvarez’s return, as the catcher has hit .333/.333/.370 with a wRC+ of 105 since his return, largely thanks to him getting three hits in each of two consecutive games. Much of this goes beyond his hitting performances, as pitchers across the team have expressed their admiration for what Alvarez means to the pitchers on the roster. The Mets have won a total of 18 of the last 20 games Alvarez has played.

The Cubs have reeled off two straight wins after winning two of three games against the Giants. That helped Chicago get back on track after losing three straight series and seven of the previous 10 before the win against San Francisco. They are led by rookie Michael Busch, who they acquired in a trade with the Dodgers in the offseason. Busch tied a Cub record by hitting a home run in five straight games earlier this year. He now leads the Cubs with an OPS of .823, a wRC+ of 134 and a fWAR of 1.7.

Friday, June 21: José Quintana vs. Shōta Imanaga at 2:20 p.m. EDT on SNY

Quintana (2024): 72.1 IP, 50 K, 25 BB, 12 HR, 4.98 ERA, 5.16 FIP, 132 ERA-

Quintana is coming off his strongest start since eight innings against the Cardinals on April 28. He picked up his second win of the year by going six innings and allowing one earned run on two hits, with two walks and six strikeouts to keep the Padres at bay. It was a welcome sight after the left-hander had 3 ²⁄₃ innings and four innings in his previous two starts.

Imanaga (2024): 76.0 IP, 78 K, 11 BB, 7 HR, 1.89 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 71 ERA-

Imanaga has put himself in the running for both NL Rookie of the Year – alongside teammate Busch – and NL Cy Young with a stellar rookie season. The right-hander is third among NL starters in ERA, sixth in fWAR (2.2) and seventh in FIP. Even more impressively, he is first in BB/9 (1.30 BB/9). He has two straight wins against the Reds (6 ²⁄₃ innings, two earned runs, five hits, one walk, seven strikeouts) and the Cardinals (7 innings, one earned run, four hits, no walks, six strikeouts). On May 1, he dominated the Mets, pitching seven innings of three hits to give them the win.

Saturday, June 22: Tylor Megill vs. TBD at 2:20 p.m. EDT on SNY

Megillah (2024): 30.2 IP, 37 K, 13 BB, 1 HR, 3.52 ERA, 2.62 FIP, 92 ERA-

Megill is coming off his second win in three starts, winning against San Diego after throwing five innings of two runs and five hits. Megill will look to build on that performance, and since returning from injury he has posted a 3.71 ERA and a 2.39 FIP in 26 games. ²⁄₃ innings.

To be announced

Chicago has not yet announced a starting pitcher for Saturday’s game.

Sunday, June 23: David Peterson vs. TBD at 7:10 p.m. EDT on ESPN

Peterson (2024): 22.2 IP, 12 K, 8BB, 2 HR, 3.97 ERA, 4.56 FIP, 116 ERA-

Peterson picked up a win in his third straight start, and it was one of his best starts of the year. Against Texas, he went six innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits, allowed three walks, and struck out six strikeouts. He benefited from an offensive outburst, as the Mets scored 14 runs, so he never really broke a sweat, but he still managed to keep a solid offense in check.

To be announced

Chicago has not yet announced a starting pitcher for Sunday’s game.