White Sox beat Mets 2-1 in series finale
The Mets dropped the rubber game in Chicago 2-1 to finish 2-3 over their last five, and they host the Brewers tonight already 17 games back in the NL East.
McLean's scoreless start wasted in a split set
White Sox4-6White Sox10-5White Sox1-2The Mets closed out their series in Chicago with a 2-1 loss to the White Sox on August 23, dropping the set 2-1 after taking the middle game. It left them 2-3 in the last five games, a stretch that opened with a 2-5 home loss to the Padres on August 18 and a 4-2 win over San Diego the next day before the trip to Chicago.
Nolan McLean was the best arm the Mets put on a mound in that stretch, throwing 6.0 shutout innings with just 1 hit allowed and 6 strikeouts against 4 walks in the August 22 win, a 10-5 final. Daniel Duarte worked an inning of relief in the finale loss, allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits while striking out 3.
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The Mets designated infielder Gabriel Arias for assignment on August 17 and selected Christopher Morel to the roster the same day, according to MLB Trade Rumors. It followed the release of Andy Ibáñez on August 14, also per MLB Trade Rumors, as the club continues to churn its bench with just over a month left in the season.
MLB Trade Rumors also reported on August 17 that the Mets are among several teams, along with the Yankees, Dodgers and Phillies, with interest in Hanshin slugger Teruaki Sato — a report Jon Heyman had first flagged on August 14. Heyman also relayed on August 12 that Francisco Lindor reaffirmed to the New York Post that he intends to stay with the Mets for the long term.
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The Mets host the Brewers tonight, sending Zac Thornton (3-4, 3.04 ERA) to the mound against Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.84 ERA). Harrison was sharp in his last outing on August 18, allowing no earned runs over 5.0 innings against the Mariners with 8 strikeouts against 2 walks, while Thornton gave up 3 earned runs over 5.0 innings in his last start on August 18 against the Padres, striking out 7.
Milwaukee is favored on the road, and the total points to a low-scoring game — a read that lines up with both starters working efficiently in their last time out. For the Mets to cover as home underdogs, Thornton will need to match the form Harrison showed against Seattle rather than the outing he had against San Diego.