First pitch is 1:40 PM ET at Citi Field with New York up 2-0 in the series after a 9-7 slugfest Friday and a clean 6-1 follow-up Saturday. Janson Junk (3-5, 4.80) goes for Miami opposite Nolan McLean (2-4, 4.40), and the Mets are sitting -156 on the moneyline as a reasonable favorite to finish the job.
McLean is the more interesting name on that card. His last time out, the Reds tagged him for 7 earned in 3.1 innings and chased him on 78 pitches, the kind of outing that turns a 3.40 ERA into a 4.40 in a single afternoon. He's still missing bats — 75 strikeouts in 61.1 innings — and a 26-33 Marlins lineup that just got shut down for six innings of one-run ball is the right group to get well against. Junk, meanwhile, is coming off a tidy 5-inning, 1-run win in Toronto, but the Mets already roughed him up earlier this year and the underlying stuff hasn't suddenly become a problem for big-league hitters.
Both clubs are limping into June at a few games under .500, but they've gotten there different ways the last week. The Mets dropped two ugly ones to the Reds before reeling off three straight wins. The Marlins are the opposite — won in Toronto, then lost four in a row, with the bats going to sleep against Sean Manaea and friends on Saturday.
- Day-To-DayKemp Alderman RF — Triple-A Jacksonville placed Alderman on the 7-day injured list Tuesday due to a left wrist injury, Michael Germanese of Roundtable.io reports.
- Day-To-DayThomas White SP — Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Sunday that White is recovering from "a bit of a shoulder thing," Kyle Sielaff of Marlins.tv reports.
- 10-Day-ILGriffin Conine LF — Conine (hamstring) appears to be a week or two away from beginning a rehab assignment, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
- 15-Day-ILAndrew Nardi RP — The Marlins placed Nardi on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left ribcage stress reaction, retroactive to Thursday
- 15-Day-ILEury Perez SP — The Marlins placed Perez on the 15-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Thursday, due to a right gracilis strain.
- 60-Day-ILRobby Snelling SP — Snelling underwent internal brace surgery Friday to repair a torn UCL in his left elbow.
- 60-Day-ILRonny Henriquez RP — The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
- 60-Day-ILAdam Mazur SP — The Marlins placed Mazur (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- Day-To-DayMike Tauchman RF — Tauchman (knee) is still rehabbing at the Mets' spring training complex and has yet to resume baseball activities, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayGrae Kessinger 3B — no
- Day-To-DayJoe Jacques RP — The Mets signed Jacques to a minor-league contract Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayKevin Herget RP — Herget signed a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training with the Mets on Thursday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayNick Burdi RP — The Red Sox reinstated Burdi (hip) from the injured list Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester.
- Day-To-DayJose Rojas 3B — Triple-A Salt Lake placed Rojas on its COVID-19 injured list Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
- 10-Day-ILJorge Polanco 1B — Polanco (Achilles) will play two more rehab games and could be activated from the 10-day injured list some time next week on the Mets' road trip, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.
- 10-Day-ILFrancisco Alvarez C — Alvarez (knee) is going through full baseball activities and could be ready for a rehab assignment as soon as next week, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.
The IL situation is the real story here. The Mets are running out a lineup without Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Jorge Polanco, and Tyrone Taylor, and the rotation is missing Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes. That they're still 25-33 and just took two from Miami is borderline impressive. Polanco and Alvarez are both reportedly close, with rehab assignments on the table next week — help is coming, even if it isn't here today.
The total sits at 7.5 with the over juiced to -105, which feels about right given how Friday's opener went and how shaky McLean has looked. Take the Mets to close out the sweep at home, but don't be shocked if it gets weird in the middle innings before they pull away late.