Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets Prediction & Betting Tips - MLB

Prediction published on 07/05/2022, 14:07  by Joseph King | Modified on 07/05/2022 at 21:07 in MLB Prediction

Doubleheader action is on the slate for Sunday in Major League Baseball as the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will face off in back-to-back games at Citizens Bank Park. The decision to play a doubleheader was made after the last two scheduled games had to be called off due to rain, meaning the last time these two teams locked horns was on Thursday in game one of what was then supposed to be a four game series. The series will conclude on Sunday as it is shortened to three games with the fourth scheduled to be made up in August. We’ll be focusing on the first of the two games in this preview and subsequent betting selection. The Mets have been off to a red hot start in the still young 2022 MLB season and are tied for the most wins in the league with their record of 19-9. They come up against a struggling Phillies team whose slow start has put manager Joe Girardi’s position as manager firmly in the line of fire. Philadelphia sit fourth in the NL East with a record of 11-15 and have already dug themselves a seven game hole behind the first-place Mets. 

The first game of the series resulted in a remarkable ninth-inning comeback for the Mets where they emerged as 8-7 victors after entering the final inning of play trailing by a score of 7-1. The disastrous collapse – the Phillies worst in 28 years – ramped up the calls for Girardi to be replaced and it’s hard to envision the 57-year-old keeping his position for much longer if things continue the way they are. The doubleheader could wind up being Girardi’s last games at the helm and it will be interesting to see how the Phillies players respond. Righty Chris Bassitt is likely to take the mound for New York in the first game of the doubleheader. The 33-year-old, coming off his first career All Star selection as part of the Oakland A’s last season, has had a decent start to his first year in New York and is 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA. Bassitt pitched seven innings in his last appearance, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out eight batters in an eventual 5-2 loss to defending champions Atlanta. His counterpart will likely be Zach Eflin, who will be facing the Mets for a second consecutive start after pitching against New York when the two teams met on the first of May. Eflin didn’t fare well on that day as he gave up six runs on eight hits in four innings.