Mets (Stroman) vs. Reds (Hoffman)

The Mets lost a close one last night vs. the Reds. Today, Marcus Stroman and Jeff Hoffman duel on the hill. Both starters have a lot riding on this start. Stroman, who started well this season, hasn’t been the same since some hip issues in June. He is 0-2 last three, and none of his starts have gone over 5 innings. Hoffman hasn’t pitched since May, and wasn’t particularly successful at that time. He is returning from a shoulder injury and is in danger of losing his spot in the starting rotation. He, also isn’t likely to pitch long into the game.

While the Reds do have more offensive potential than the Mets, they aren’t overly successful against at home. The Mets are very good against a right handed starter and have better relief options. Neither pen has been successful of late, but I guess you could say that the Mets’ pen has been ‘less bad’

My wager

I like the Mets in this situation. While I always grumble about Stroman’s career-long lack of run support, he is a competitor, and is likely to bounce back from 0-2. Hoffman is an unknown at this point, but it is hard to pin much hope on his success today. Take the Mets to win outright.