Media by Associated Press – New York Mets catcher Tomas Nido, left, celebrates with relief pitcher Yoan Lopez after the Mets defeated the Chicago Cubs in the second baseball game of a doubleheader in Chicago, Saturday, July 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Heading into the All-Star break and with the MLB Draft starting, there isn’t a Sunday Night Baseball game this weekend. The NL East leading New York Mets (58-34) and the Chicago Cubs (35-47) played a doubleheader on Saturday, with the visitors winning both games in extra inning. The Mets go for a four-game sweep, and Sunday’s first pitch is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET from Wrigley Field in Chicago, airing locally in both markets.
The Mets will start LHP David Peterson (5-2, 3.48) against Cubs RHP Adrian Sampson (0-1, 3.33). They lead the season series 3-0 and will host the Cubs for three more in September. Last year the Cubs won the season series 4-3 with a three-game sweep at Wrigley in April.
Mets Take Division Lead into Break
Saturday’s doubleheader sweep ensured that the Mets will retain their NL East lead when the second half begins next weekend. With 58 wins, they have the second-best record in the National League, and they are 2.5 games on top of Atlanta in the division. The Mets are 30-19 on the road this season and 12-4 against the NL Central.
The Mets took the lead in extra innings of both games thanks to Pete Alonso, with a sacrifice fly in game one and a bases loaded hit by pitch in the nightcap. The Mets pitching was brilliant all day as the bullpen struck out 11 in 8⅔ innings without allowing an earned run. Overall, Mets pitchers recorded 27 strikeouts on the day, and the bullpen hasn’t allowed an earned run in the series.
Eduardo Escobar homered in game two while adding a double to finish 3-for-5. Francisco Lindor had hits in both games with a RBI, and Alonso doubled in the opener and finished the day with two RBI. He leads the Mets with 77 RBI on the season, while Lindor has 66.
Peterson lost in Atlanta on Tuesday as he allowed two runs on two hits over 5⅓ innings while striking out nine. He has struck out at least seven batters in five straight starts but has also allowed five home runs in those five starts.
Peterson faced the Cubs twice last year, going 1-1 with three runs allowed over 9⅓ innings. He’s only faced five players on the Cubs roster, with Willson Contreras and Yan Gomes both going 1-for-5 while David Bote is 1-for-2. Patrick Wisdom is 0-for-1 against Peterson, while Ian Happ is 0-for-3.
Cubs Scuffling into Break
The Cubs have lost nine games in a row and are in danger of being swept for a third straight series. Seven of those nine losses have been by two runs or less, and they have come in extra innings. The Cubs are 17-32 at home this season and 9-16 against LHP while being tied for the second-worst record in the National League.
Seiya Suzuki had three of the Cubs’ 10 hits in the nightcap, while Yan Gomes was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Frank Schwindel had three hits in the doubleheader, but Happ was 0-for-7 on the day before getting ejected from game two. Willson Contreras was 0-for-5 in the opener, and Wisdom was 1-for-8 on the day.
Manager David Ross was ejected from the first two games of the series, and Happ was tossed in game two Saturday. The Cubs have scored three runs or less in nine of the last ten games though the pitching staff recorded 25 strikeouts on Saturday.
Sampson lost to Baltimore at home on Tuesday, allowing three runs on six hits over 5⅓ innings. Prior to that, he had five straight no-decisions, and he’s gone at least five innings in six of his last seven starts. Sampson has never faced the Mets and last won a start on June 14 in Philadelphia.
Sampson has faced five batters on the Mets roster. Mark Canha is 2-for-9 against the righty with two home runs, while Starling Marte is 2-for-4. Lindor is hitless in two at-bats, and Escobar is 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Betting Analysis
- New York Mets -1.5 (+100) Moneyline -150
- Chicago Cubs +1.5 (-10) Moneyline +130
- Total Runs 10.5 Over -110. Under -110
The Mets lineup for Sunday will be interesting, both coming off 20 innings played on Saturday and leading into the All-Star break. If they don’t give players like Alonso, Lindor, Marte, and Escobar a day off, they should win this game and head into the break on a five-game win streak. Both bullpens are taxed, so give the over a look as well.
Betting Pick: Mets -1.5 runs (+100)
Keep up with your latest MLB news coverage and betting pick previews at NJ Sportsbook.