Sunday, May 4, 2025 • 6:15 PM
Busch Stadium • St. Louis, MO
RHP Tylor Megill (3-2, 1.74) vs. RHP Andre Pallante (2-2, 4.13)
SNY
The New York Mets lost Game 1 of the doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals earlier on Sunday. The Mets made a valiant comeback effort after Blade Tidwell struggled mightily in his big-league debut, but came up just short, 6-5.
The extra time between the games this afternoon isn’t ideal for the New York Mets, who have a game tomorrow night in Arizona. It’s a better situation though than last year. Last year they had a three game series against the Angels in Anaheim then were supposed to fly to Colorado, have a day off to acclimate, and then play. But, due to the Cardinals and Mets schedules, the Mets’ off-day was spent flying from Anaheim to St. Louis, playing a game, then flying to Colorado.
Mets Lineup
- Francisco Lindor, SS
- Juan Soto, DH
- Pete Alonso, 1B
- Mark Vientos, 3B
- Brandon Nimmo, LF
- Starling Marte, RF
- Francisco Alvarez, C
- Luisangel Acuña, 2B
- Tyrone Taylor, CF
Tylor Megill has a 1.74 ERA, 2.32 FIP, 1.129 WHIP, and a 223 ERA+ over six starts and 31 innings this season. The pitching line in his last start (three runs over 6 1/3 innings, nine strikeouts) doesn’t tell the whole story. Megill was cruising through the first six innings, and the Mets pushing him into the seventh for the first time. It already was the first time this season that he completed six innings. Things fell apart and he allowed two runs. The bullpen then collapsed behind him and the Mets fumbled a 7-1 lead. That being said, Megill has struck out 19 batters over his last 11 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals have the following career numbers against him:
Cardnials Lineup
- Lars Nootbaar, LF
- Masyn Winn, SS
- Brendan Donovan, 2B
- Nolan Arenado, 3B
- Willson Contreras, DH
- Alec Burleson, 1B
- Yohel Pozo, C
- Jordan Walker, RF
- Victor Scott, CF
Andre Pallante has pitched 32 2/3 innings over six starts with a 4.13 ERA, 5.32 FIP, 1.286 WHIP, and a 101 ERA+. In his last three starts, he has allowed 11 runs from 20 hits and five walks over 16 1/3 innings (6.06 ERA, 6.30 FIP). This includes a start against the Mets on April 17 where he allowed four runs from seven hits over six innings.
The Mets have the following career numbers against Pallante:
- Pete Alonso 1-6, 2 BB, K
- Francisco Alvarez 1-2
- José Azócar 0-1
- Francisco Lindor 5-11, 2 BB, 2 K
- Starling Marte 3-5, 2B, BB, K
- Jeff McNeil 1-7, K
- Brandon Nimmo 1-13, 2B, K
- Juan Soto 0-6, 2 BB, K
- Tyrone Taylor 4-10, 2B, K
- Luis Torrens 0-2
- Mark Vientos 1-3, HR
- Jesse Winker 1-3
Game Notes
Prior to Game 2 of the doubleheader, the Mets formally announced that they are recalling Dedniel Núñez from Triple-A Syracuse and returning Game 1 starter Blade Tidwell.
Outfielder/designated hitter, Jesse Winker, left Sunday’s Game 1 early due to right side tightness. After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed Winker would go for a MRI to ensure he did not strain his oblique.
Three Things To Watch For
- Energy. Sunday is a long day for players and the umpires. The Mets have to get out to Arizona and the Cardinals start a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday. Tylor Megill has been cruising with 19 strikeouts in his last two starts, this feels like a recipe for Megill to rack up strikeouts this evening.
- Pallante and home runs. Over the last three games, Pallante has allowed four home runs, bringing him to six on the season. Last season, he allowed only eight home runs through 121 1/3 innings. His HR/9 has jumped from his career low in 2024 of 0.6 HR/9 to a career high this year of 1.7 HR/9 (he had a 0.8 HR/9 in his first two major league seasons). Does he return to the mean tonight and keep the Mets in the park? Or is this a sign of something happening to Pallante this year?
- Tylor Megill and Statcast pitches. We know that Statcast is not perfect in differentiating between pitches. In 2024, according to Statcast, Megill tossed eight different types of pitches, with the changeup being the least used with 20 tosses. This year he’s used five pitches. He’s using his fastball at pretty much the same rate (44.7% in 2025, 46.7% in 2024). He’s completely eliminated his cutter that he used 14.2% of the time in 2024 and instead he’s using his slider and sinker a lot more. He’s also already thrown his changeup more times this season (34) than in 2024.
