Diamondbacks Will Try to Right Ship Against Free Falling Mets

Citi Field has not been an easy place to play for the Diamondbacks over the last few years, but this weekend presents an opportunity against a team in disarray. They'll hope to get things started off right behind Zac Gallen

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) delivers a pitch / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY

The Diamondbacks are in New York for a four game series against the Mets starting Thursday at 4:10 P.M. Arizona Time, 7:10 P.M. EST. The D-backs are 25-30 and are coming off a two game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers. The Mets are 22-33 and were just swept at home three straight against the Dodgers.

The Mets started off the season 15-14 through the end of April, but have had a disastrous 7-19 month of May. They've lost eight of their last nine games, and yesterday experienced an embarrassing meltdown by reliever Jorge Lopez that resulted in him getting DFA'd shortly after the game.

The Mets just had to place start closer Edwin Diaz on the injured list with a shoulder impingement and slugger Pete Alonso is day to day after being hit on the hand by a pitch on Wednesday. X-Rays were negative.

Both teams have been struggling on offense. The D-backs are averaging just 3.6 runs per game in May and have hit just .234 with a .658 OPS for the month. It's been especially dismal over their last five games in which they've scored just seven runs and are batting .203. They haven't homered since May 22nd against the Dodgers.

The Mets are batting .223 and scoring 3.8 R/G in May and have been held to 11 runs and a .169 B.A. over their last five games.

For the Diamondbacks there were encouraging signs that Corbin Carroll may be snapping out of a season long slump on Wednesday, following a three-hit game. Ketel Marte had a 21 game hiting streak in which his batting average actually FELL from .309 to .291. Now he's gone 0-20 in his last five games to drop his average all the way to .270.

Christian Walker is 7-20, .350 with two doubles over his last five games. But Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is 3-17, Eugenio Suarez is 3-15, and the once hot Kevin Newman has cooled off too, going 2-16 over this stretch.

Citi Field is not exactly the type of place a team typically goes to find their offense. The Mets home ballpark always ranks amongst the most pitcher friendly in the league according to various park factors, and 2024 is no exception. In fact it's more extreme than ever.

Baseball reference multi year park park factor for Citi Field is 94, and single year is 84. 100 = Neutral, with the lower the number, the more it favors the pitcher. Citi Field is the 3rd most pitcher friendly park behind only the parks in Seattle and San Francisco. Statcast Park factors concur, ranking Citi Field with a 95 Park factor, the second lowest in MLB. The single year factor is 87.

Add to that the D-backs are just 2-8 at Citi Field since 2021, and there is some history to overcome if they are to get on the right track in this series.

Pitching Matchups

Thursday May 30th 4:10 P.M. Arizona time

Zac Gallen RHP 5-4, 3.12 ERA, 3.23 FIP in 57.2 IP

Gallen has lost each of his last two starts despite pitching 6.2 and 7.0 innings and allowing just three runs in each outing. His road ERA of 4.33 is more than twice as high as his home ERA of 2.05. In four career starts in Citi Field he's 0-2 with a 4.29 ERA. That included a thrashing on September 13th last year in which he gave up 7 runs, 6 earned in 5.0 innings.

Christian Scott RHP, 0-2, 3.97 ERA, 3.79 FIP in 22.2 IP

Scott is a 25 year old rookie making his fifth major league start. He's thrown quality starts in three of his four previous outings, including 6 innings of 2-hit, 2-run ball in a no-decision against the Giants May 24th. He has a four seam fastball (94.4 MPH) a slider, a sweeper, and an occasional splitter.

Friday May 31st, 4:10 P.M.

Jordan Montgomery, LHP, 3-2, 4.69 ERA, 4.12 FIP in 40.1 IP

Montgomery got the win against the Marlins in a 3-2 ballgame on May 25th. He allowed just two runs in six innings despite giving up nine hits and a walk.

Luis Severino, RHP , 2-2, 3.22 ERA, 3.79 FIP in 58.2 IP

Severino has been a bright spot for the Mets in 2024. Signed to a one year, $13 million contract he's made 10 starts and gone at least five innings in all of them. He went seven strong innings in a no-decision against the Giants May 25th, giving up just one run on two hits. He hasn't recorded a win since April 17th however and has five no decisions in a row.

Saturday June 1st, 1:10 P.M. Arizona Time

Blake Walston, LHP 0-0, 2.16 ERA, 3.13 FIP in 8.1 IP

Walston is making his second career start and third appearance of his career. He pitched extremely well in his first start, as chronicled by Aaron Hughes.

Sean Manaea LHP, 3-1, 3.16 ERA, 3.46 FIP in 51.1 IP

Manaea has been another excellent one year signing for the Mets, (with a 2025 player option). While he doesn't typically go deep in games, never pitching past the sixth inning this year, he's only failed to go at least five innings twice in his 10 starts. He's faced the D-backs 11 times, with eight starts, and has a career 4-2 record with 3.42 ERA against Arizona.

Sunday June 2nd, 10:40 A.M.

Brandon Pfaadt RHP, 2-4, 4.16 ERA, 3.23 FIP in 67 IP

Pfaadt continues to have a FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) nearly a full run lower than his ERA. That's due to his 63-12 strikeout to walk ratio. He's given up just seven homers, but it was a big three-run blast by Corey Seager in his last start that led to a loss. Pfaadt has only given up 60 hits, or 8.1/9IP and his .280 BABIP (Batting average on balls in play) is lower than the league average.

The issue has simply been sequencing, and making the occasional location mistake at inopportune times, leading to more runs allowed than his peripherals would suggest. Pfaadt is a quality pitcher who is still learning how to pitch at this level, but his poise and determination are already well established.

The Mets starter is listed as TBA for Sunday's game as of this writing.