Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Guardians play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Monday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
Can Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes provide length?
The Mets' starting rotation, aside from David Peterson, has been unable to pitch deep into games over the last month-plus.
Part of that has to do with pitchers like Manaea and Kodai Senga stretching back out following stints on the IL, and part of it has to do with Holmes understandably being managed with kid gloves as he soars past his innings total from last season during his first year after transitioning from reliever to starter.
But in order to avoid burning out the newly-bolstered bullpen, the Mets are going to have to get more length from their starters.
Manaea has tossed 5.0 innings in each of his last two starts, but high pitch counts have prevented him from going beyond that.
As far as Holmes, he lasted just 3.2 innings last Wednesday against the Padres and hasn't completed 6.0 innings since June 7.
Manaea gets the ball on Monday, with Holmes toeing the slab on Tuesday.
Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are breaking out of it
Following prolonged slumps, Lindor and Alonso are starting to look like themselves at the plate again.
Lindor is hitting .310/.370/.524 with two home runs and three doubles in 46 plate appearances over his last 10 games.
That includes a leadoff homer on Sunday against the Giants — a series where Lindor went 5-for-11 with five RBI and two walks.
Alonso smashed home runs on Friday and Saturday, giving him 250 for his career as he continues to chase the Mets' franchise record of 252 that is held by Darryl Strawberry.
Juan Soto is in a serious power drought
Soto hit safely in all three games against San Francisco, but he hasn't been hitting for much power lately.
Soto has hit just one home run and one double since July 18.
Meanwhile, his OPS — which was up to .916 entering play on July 5 — has dropped to .859.
Soto has also gone five straight games without a walk, which is a rarity for him.
The Guardians are surging, but with a caveat
The Guardians are 16-7 since July 7, a run that has put them back in the mix for a Wild Card spot in the American League.
However, while Cleveland swept…