In today's great American pastime, we have the Cincinnati Reds facing off with the New York Mets over at the quaint yet slightly pitcher-friendly Citi Field. I tell you, folks, this is a baseball spectacle you won't want to miss.
We have some interesting pitcher matchups to consider here. For the Reds, Jakob Junis stands on the mound, boasting an impressive ERA of 3.33 and 7.1 K/9 tied to his name. Now on the Mets' side, Jose Quintana. A bit rough around the edges this season, if you will, with an ERA skating closer to the 5-end at 4.39, and an identical K/9 to Junis. Call it an uneven skirmish if you please, but I see a spicy duel ready to enfold!
Shall we turn our attention to the heavy hitters? Tyler Stephenson and Santiago Espinal seem to be getting pretty comfortable with that home plate for the Reds. Mind you, Stephenson is approaching All-Star territory hitting .330 with 18 RBIs already in the bag. On the Mets' side, however, we have the likes of Francisco Lindor and Jesse Winker. Lindor, mind you, has been lighting up the diamond consistently, hitting at a high .347, paired with 20 RBIs and plenty of power with 8 homers.
Speaking of past pow-wows, the Mets have come out on top in the previous last five of their meetings with the Reds. Recent form is on their side too, with the Mets amassing a robust 77-64 win-loss record and a nice streak in their recent games. The Reds, someway behind on a 68-74 record, are showing fight though, so don't count 'em out too soon.
Considering all this juicy titbit, let's serve the hot, spicy prediction you've been waiting for:
Albert’s Prediction: New York Mets by 2