Two of the teams with the best starts in baseball get together for a four-game series this week, and the New York Mets (7-3) host the San Francisco Giants (7-2).
The Mets lead the NL East while the Giants are tied atop the NL West and share the best record in all of baseball. The series starts Monday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field in New York on regional networks and ESPN+.
The Giants are slated to start RHP Alex Cobb (1-0, 3.60) in the opener against Mets RHP Tylor Megill (2-0, 0.00). Last season the Giants went 5-1 against the Mets, including a three-game August sweep in New York.
Belt Blasting for Giants Offense
The Giants have won five games in a row, three on the road. They haven’t allowed more than four runs in a game yet this season, and they’ve allowed two runs or less seven times. The Giants outscored the Cleveland Guardians 16-4 in a three-game sweep over the weekend.
The Giants lead the NL in team ERA at 2.20 and have 86 pitching strikeouts to just 36 walks issued. The offense ranks ninth in average at .236 and eighth in runs scored at 43. The Giants have hit 11 home runs in nine games, ranking fourth in the NL.
Brandon Belt leads the Giants with three home runs, while second baseman Thairo Estrada has eight RBI, and both homered on Sunday. Joc Pederson, a newcomer in 2022, is batting .364 with two homers, while Belt is hitting .345 and rookie catcher Joey Bart is hitting .273. Mike Yastrzemski (.167) and Brandon Crawford (.214) are off to slow starts having both played in eight games.
Cobb won his first start of the season with two runs allowed on four hits over five innings on Tuesday against San Diego. The veteran struck out ten and walked two while throwing 83 pitches in the win.
He hasn’t faced the Mets since winning in New York in 2018. He’s faced five Mets players in his career and has been hit hard by Robinson Cano, who is 10-for-28 (.357) with four homers. Francisco Lindor is 3-for-8 against Cobb, while Eduardo Escobar is 3-for-11 with a homer.
Mets Starters Off to Historic Start
The Mets have won all three series so far this season, including taking two of three from Arizona over the weekend. In that series, the Mets allowed six total runs with just one earned against a starting pitcher. Through the first ten games, the Mets starters have a 1.07 ERA, the best mark after ten games in MLB history.
Overall the Mets rank third in the NL with a 2.35 team ERA, and they lead the league with 106 strikeouts at 10.6 per game. The offense leads the NL in runs scored (51) while ranking second in home runs (12). The Mets are fifth in team batting average at .253, and third with 44 walks drawn.
Lindor and Pete Alonso both have three home runs, while Starling Marte and the injured Brandon Nimmo have hit two each. Alonso is batting just .231 but has 14 RBI in the season to lead the NL, while Marte has 10. Catcher James McCann is off to a slow start at .105, and Cao is batting .217, but all other Mets regulars are batting at least 251.
Megill has a chance to be the first 3-game winner in the National League this season. He won at Washington on opening day and won at Philadelphia on Tuesday. He has yet to allow a run or issue a walk over ten ⅓ innings while striking out 11 and giving up six hits.
As a rookie last season, Megill faced the Giants twice in a week in August, going 0-1. Combined, he allowed eight runs on 16 hits over 9 ⅔ innings while striking out 11. Belt was 3-for-5 with two homers against Megill, while Yastrzemski also went deep, but Crawford and Pederson are a combined 0-for-9.
Betting Analysis
- San Francisco Giants -1.5 run line (-175) +100 Moneyline
- New York Mets +1.5 run line (-210). -120 Moneyline
- Run Total: 6.5. Over -125. Under -105.
Both starters have been fantastic on the season, and both offenses depend on the long ball. Neither starter has given up a homer yet this season, and Megill has two starts under his belt while Cobb has just one.
Don’t expect Cobb to strike out ten batters again, and the Giants have the bullpen edge, but the Mets have the hotter bats and a better starter.
Betting Pick: Mets Moneyline (-120)
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