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Mets, Giants not expected to produce too many runs in Wild Card game – Metro US
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Mets, Giants not expected to produce too many runs in Wild Card game

Mets, Giants not expected to produce too many runs in Wild Card game
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The Mets scored 671 runs this season. The San Francisco Giants, who the Mets will take on Wednesday (8 p.m., ESPN) in the National League Wild Card game at Citi Field, scored 715 runs during the six-month regular season. While those totals seem like a lot, they really aren’t when compared to the rest of MLB.

The Mets ranked 26 out of 30 teams in runs scored this season and the Giants ranked 19th, meaning Wednesday’s win-or-go-home affair isn’t expected to approach being a double-digit slugfest. Add in the fact that both the Mets and Giants will be able to start their top pitcher on Wednesday and we have the makings of a game that will have plenty of goose-eggs on the scoreboard.

Noah Syndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA), who led the Mets in ERA and strikeouts this season, will get the ball for the Mets while the Giants will place postseason superstar Madison Bumgarner on the hill in Queens. Bumgarner went 15-9 with a 2.74 ERA this season and is just two years removed from arguably the most dominant postseason run by a pitcher in baseball history. In seven playoff starts in 2014, Bumgarner recorded an incredible 1.03 ERA. Syndergaard was no slouch in his first postseason last year, though, as he posted a 3.32 ERA in four playoff starts.

“It’s the big leagues,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “You’re going to face great pitching in the postseason. I know they’re in their clubhouse saying, ‘Wow, we’ve got to face Syndergaard.’ It should be a great game … they’re a great team. They had a rough second half. Everybody knows that. But they’re very talented. I know they’re probably banged up a little bit like we are.”