Remember this time last year, when Clayton Kershaw flirted with a perfect game and Justin Upton’s three-run blast drenched the Mets’ playoff hopes? Well, a lot has happened since, and the Amazins find themselves in an eerily similar spot as they set to begin their first homestand of the second half with the St. Louis Cardinals this week.
In what was likely the biggest summer in franchise history, the Mets stormed back in the N.L. East standings following the acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes, immediately rattling off seven straight wins before going on seven and eight-game winning streaks in August and September, respectively. The three-month offensive surge propelled the team to its fifth World Series appearance.
It’s silly to assume the Mets will have a similar fairy tale run through the dogs days of summer this year, but the upcoming homestand will be a telling one in terms of Wild Card positioning. The Mets enter Monday’s contest just .5 games out of the second Wild Card spot, with the Cardinals on their coattails at a full game behind.
Fans won’t be cutting holes in their wallets to attend the early-week series, however, as each of the three games are among the cheapest remaining at Citi Field this year. Below is complete price breakdown for NY Mets tickets against the Cardinals, according to Razorgator:
7/25/16 Noah Syndergaard (9-4, 2.43) vs. Carlos Martinez (9-6, 2.83) | Get-in Price: $10
The Cardinals are just 10-17 at Citi Field since it opened in 2009. Noah Syndergaard will take the hill on Monday night against Carlos Martinez, both of which have been All-Stars over the last two seasons. It will be the marquee pitching matchup of the series, though tickets start from just $10. Syndergaard has faced the Cardinals once before in his career, where he lost 3-2 at Busch Stadium. Martinez is 1-1 with a 0.57 ERA in two starts against the Mets lifetime.
7/26 Bartolo Colon (8-5, 3.48) vs. Jaime Garcia (7-6, 3.98) | Get-in Price: $12
Ageless wonder Bartolo Colon is slated to start Tuesday night against Jaime Garcia. As it stands now, it will be the most expensive game of the series, with St. Louis Cardinals tickets listed from $12. Colon looks to bounce back after a difficult outing against the Cubs last week, where he pitched just 4.1 innings and gave up six earned runs. Garcia is 2-0 in July and coming off a 3-2 win against the Padres last Wednesday.
7/27 Logan Verrett (3-6, 4.14) vs. Adam Wainwright (9-5, 4.09) | Get-in Price: $8
Logan Verrett’s shelling at the hands of the Nationals earlier this month hasn’t appeared to rattle his confidence, and the 26-year-old put together two respectable outings in Philadelphia and Miami over the last week and a half. He’ll need to come up big against three-time All-Star Adam Wainwright on Wednesday, however. Still, even with Wainwright getting the start, Wednesday’s game will be the cheapest of the series. Fans can find tickets from just $8. Citi Field parking is also available for the cheapest rates on ParkWhiz.com.
