Mets, Giants Set To Do Battle In Priciest Wild Card Game Ever
It all comes down to one game, and it all it might take is a single run to win it when the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants collide in this year’s NL Wild Card Game Wednesday evening, Oct. 5, at Citi Field.
That’s because both clubs — who have each represented the National League in the World Series in the past two seasons — will be going with their stud ace in this all-important meeting, as Noah Syndergaard toes the rubber for the Mets opposite Madison Bumgarner, one of the greatest postseason pitchers of all-time. Aside from that, both starters are coming off stellar seasons.
Bumgarner went 15-9 with a 2.74 ERA during the 2016 campaign, but he’s posted even better numbers than that throughout his career versus the Mets, being 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA in six career outings against New York’s NL franchise. However, the Mets did get to Mad Bum the last time they saw him on Aug. 18, when they plated four runs in five innings with the talented southpaw on the hill.
Syndergaard, meanwhile, enjoyed a fabulous first full season in the big leagues this year, going 14-9 with a 2.60 ERA. Two of his 2016 assignments came opposite the Giants, whom he was 1-1 against with a 2.63 ERA and 0.80 WHIP, as San Francisco managed to hit only .159 off the 24-year-old. Syndergaard last saw the Giants just over a month ago on Aug. 21, not to mention on nationally-televised ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, in which he stifled them over eight brilliant shutout innings, allowing just two measly hits.
The elite pitching matchup is just one of several reasons why tickets to see the Mets and Giants duke it out for the right to face the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS are soaring on the secondary market. In fact, according to Razorgator, Mets vs SF Giants tickets are averaging a whopping $400.83, while the get-in price is clocking in as high as $148. It is the first-ever Wild Card Game being played at Citi Field, so that should be factored in as well, with the Mets trying to return to the World Series for the second consecutive season. Fortunately, fans attending the ballgame can at least save some money on their Citi Field parking by going through ParkWhiz.com, which features cheap parking options all around the stadium.
There could be a lot of K’s in this one, as Syndergaard and Bumgarner are two of the premier strikeout pitchers in the major leagues. The man otherwise known as Thor punched out 218 batters in 183.2 innings pitched this season for the Mets, while Bumgarner racked up career highs of 251 strikeouts across 226.2 innings. He should also benefit from the fact that the majority of New York’s power hitters (Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, Lucas Duda) are left-handed.
These two clubs will also lean on some of the top hitters in the game. Yoenis Cespedes, of course, went on a monstrous tear last year in the postseason, helping the Mets go all the way before coming up just short against the Kansas City Royals. If the Mets are to make any sort of run in this year’s playoffs, they’ll certainly need him to lead the way once again. Buster Posey offers a similar type of presence in the Giants lineup, which also boasts the likes of Brandon Belt, Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford.
It’s the most expensive game in the history of annual play-in Wild Card Game, which was a new concept introduced by Major League Baseball back in 2012 to capitalize on the excitement and craziness of the final day of the previous season. Clearly, it’s been a successful endeavor launched by the league, but unfortunately, it will also be the final game for one of these two franchises come Wednesday evening.
