Baltimore Orioles vs New York Mets series preview

After taking three of four games from the Toronto Blue Jays on the road, the Orioles come off another series win and return home to Camden Yards. There, they'll take on the new look New York Mets for three games this weekend.

After a series win over the Washington Nationals before the trade deadline, the Mets got swept by the Kansas City Royals after the trade deadline to start August. They've lost three straight games and six of 10, currently possessing a -22 run differential and are 7 1/2 games back of a playoff spot.

As a result of this, the Mets hit the sell button at the trade deadline. David Robertson, Max Scherzer, Mark Canha, Tommy Pham, Dominic Leone, and Justin Verlander were all traded, with Adam Kolarek and Phil Bickford coming in.

We'll see some former Orioles this series as a result of the trade deadline and also the Mets roster being as it is. Outfielder DJ Stewart, infielder Jonathan Araúz, and relief pitcher Reed Garrett are all former Orioles, with Garrett pitching in Baltimore this year. Former O's manager Buck Showalter will also make his return to Camden Yards in the Mets dugout.

The last time the Orioles and Mets did battle was in 2021, with both squads looking drastically different. At Citi Field in May 2021, the Mets won both games of a two game series. At Camden Yards in June of that year, both teams won a game in the second two game series they played. The Orioles are just 16-28 all time in the regular season against the Mets.

Friday, 8/4: David Peterson vs Dean Kremer

The lefty Peterson starts for the Mets in the opener. He's been back and forth between the bullpen and rotation, making 11 starts and six relief appearances. On the season, he has a 5.92 ERA, 4.31 FIP, and 1.620 WHIP, averaging 1.3 home runs per nine and 3.6 walks per nine.

Kremer will be the starter for the Orioles. He lasted just four innings in his latest start, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks, racking up seven strikeouts against the New York Yankees. This will be his first career start against the Mets.

Against NL opponents this year, Kremer has held hitters to a .211/.280/.363 slash line in eight starts, authoring a 3.30 ERA and 1.079 WHIP in 46 1/3 innings pitched. At home this year, he has a 5.51 ERA and 1.351 WHIP over 63 2/3 innings and 12 starts, with opponents slugging .466 off him.

Saturday, 8/5: TBD vs Kyle Gibson

The Mets haven't announced a starter as of Thursday night, but FanGraphs projects it to be Tylor Megill. The 28-year-old righty has a 5.17 ERA, 5.09 FIP, and 1.668 WHIP over 71 1/3 innings, walking batters at a high rate with an average of 4.9 walks per nine through 15 starts.

Gibson will make his 24th start of the season for the Orioles in the middle game of this series. He had a strong start against the Blue Jays, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in six innings. He has a 4.53 ERA, 3.78 FIP, and 1.308 WHIP in 133 innings this season.

Against the Mets in his career, Gibson has a 3.98 ERA and 1.721 WHIP, averaging 7.3 strikeouts per nine in eight starts and 40 2/3 innings. He has a 5.53 ERA and 1.508 WHIP in interleague play in his career.

Sunday, 8/6: José Quintana vs Kyle Bradish

Quintana will get the ball for the Mets in the final game of the series, marking his fourth start of the season thanks to injury. Through three starts, he has a 3.57 ERA, 2.99 FIP, and 1.302 WHIP, allowing five walks and zero home runs in 17 2/3 innings pitched.

Bradish will start for the Orioles, entering what would be his 21st start of the season with a 3.32 ERA, 3.73 FIP, and 1.117 WHIP in exactly 111 innings. He allowed two home runs and three runs in total in his last start, throwing seven innings against the Blue Jays in a 13-3 win for the Orioles.

Against NL opponents in his career, Bradish has a 3.18 ERA and 1.112 WHIP in 10 starts and 56 2/3 innings, holding opposing hitters to a .230/.284/.376 slash line against him. At Camden Yards this season, Bradish has a 2.39 ERA and a 0.918 WHIP in 49 innings and eight starts. This will be the first time Bradish faces the Mets in his career.

This series is the perfect time for the Orioles to keep their distance from the teams behind them in the AL East, that mainly being the Tampa Bay Rays. Against a weakened squad in the Mets, the odds favor them too. Let's play some ball!