Velasquez to start series opener for Philadelphia at New York
Philadelphia Phillies (45-42, third in the NL East) vs. New York Mets (39-48, fourth in the NL East)
Flushing, Queens; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Vince Velasquez (2-5, 4.73 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 60 strikeouts) Mets: Jacob deGrom (4-7, 3.32 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 128 strikeouts)
LINE: Mets favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: New York and Philadelphia are set to begin a three-game series.
The Mets are 20-21 against teams from the NL East. The New York pitching staff averages 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, Jacob deGrom leads them with a mark of 11.2.
The Phillies are 22-21 against division opponents. Philadelphia has hit 109 home runs as a team this season. Jay Bruce leads the club with 21, averaging one every 12.1 at-bats.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pete Alonso leads the Mets with 64 RBIs and is batting .278. Jeff McNeil is 15-for-38 with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for New York.
Bruce leads the Phillies with 21 home runs and is batting .235. Bryce Harper is 10-for-36 with two doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs over the last 10 games for Philadelphia.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mets: 2-8, .276 batting average, 6.15 ERA, outscored by 18 runs
Phillies: 6-4, .274 batting average, 6.10 ERA, outscored opponents by one run
Mets Injuries: Drew Smith: 60-day IL (elbow), Brandon Nimmo: 10-day IL (neck), J.D. Davis: day-to-day (illness), Yoenis Cespedes: 60-day IL (heels), Jed Lowrie: 60-day IL (knee).
Phillies Injuries: David Robertson: 60-day IL (elbow), Juan Nicasio: 10-day IL (groin), Pat Neshek: 10-day IL (hamstring), Jerad Eickhoff: 10-day IL (biceps), Seranthony Dominguez: 10-day IL (elbow), Victor Arano: 60-day IL (elbow), Andrew McCutchen: 60-day IL (knee).
