The New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies in the rubbermatch of the three-game MLB series Sunday night. The Phillies defeated the Mets 4-1 on Saturday, one day after the Mets threw a combined no-hitter. Philadelphia's win pulled them to 11-11, four games behind the division-leading Mets (15-7).
The visiting Phillies will send out righty Zach Eflin, who pitched six innings of one-run ball in his last start. Eflin has been a reliable starter for the Phillies over the last several years and has made thirteen career starts against the Mets in his career. In these starts, he is 3-4 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, so he'll look to improve these numbers Sunday. He'll be facing a lineup that leads the league in hits and ranks third in runs scored. Despite having the fourth-worst ERA in the National League, the Phillies arms have held their division rivals to just four runs this series.
For the Mets, they'll tab Max Scherzer Sunday, who comes in with a 3-0 record and 1.80 ERA. Scherzer dominated last time out, striking out 10 hitters over seven scoreless frames vs. St. Louis. He'll look to build on that great outing against a good Philadelphia lineup that ranks fourth in runs scored and fifth in hits.
"We did it together! #BlackOut" - @ New York Mets
Both pitching staffs have been outstanding this series, with a combined no-hitter thrown in the mix by Tylor Megill and four relievers.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets Match Details
Fixture: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets
Date & Time: Sunday, May 1, 7:08 p.m.. EDT
Venue: Citi Field, Flushing, NY
Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets Betting Odds
Both of these clubs have been hot recently. The Phillies have won five of their previous six, while the Mets have taken four of their last six. The Mets are yet to lose consecutive games this year, while the Phillies have lost their previous nine of 11 as road underdogs. When looking at the total, it's gone under nine of the last 12 games played between these two teams.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets Best Picks
Zach Eflin recorded has never been a huge strikeout pitcher, and the Mets come in with the seventh lowest amount of Ks in the majors. Eflin struck out just three in his previous outing, and with the deep Mets lineup, he may not get a lot of swings and misses Sunday night.
Pick: Zach Eflin Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-145)
Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets Betting Prediction
This series has not featured a lot of offense. With Scherzer and Eflin taking the hill, this could be another pitcher's duel. Scherzer has allowed just two runs over his last three starts combined (19 IP) and has one of the better offenses to provide run support behind him.
Pick: Mets -1.5 (+118) & First 5 Innings Under 3.5 Runs (-118)