New York Mets veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco will try to remain perfect against the visiting Cincinnati Reds when the two teams meet in the second game of their three-game series Tuesday.
The 35-year-old Carrasco (12-4, 3.82 ERA) will make his eighth career start and ninth appearance against Cincinnati when he takes the mound for his 22nd start of the season.
In his previous eight appearances against the Reds, Carrasco is 4-0 with a 3.32 ERA, allowing just 16 earned runs over 43 1/3 innings. He has 46 strikeouts and 15 walks while limiting Cincinnati hitters to a .215 batting average.
In his last outing against Cincinnati on July 30, 2021, at Citi Field, Carrasco went only four innings, allowing one run on three hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.
In his last start against the Atlanta Braves, Carrasco saw a 23 1/3 scoreless innings streak end but still earned his 12th win of the season, allowing three runs over six innings, striking out six and walking one while recording his eighth quality start.
Two trade acquisitions made contributions for the Mets in Monday’s 5-1 win over the Reds. Tyler Naquin had a two-run triple in the eighth and Daniel Vogelbach added an RBI single in the third.
“When you have goals that we have to play as long as we want to play, you just put your head down and you come to the park every day and you do what you have to do to win,” Vogelbach said.
The Reds counter with lefty Mike Minor (1-8, 6.19), who is looking to snap a six-game personal skid. The Reds have lost 10 of Minor’s 11 starts this season.
Minor is making his 12th start of the season and his 14th career against the Mets. Minor is 5-3 with a 4.56 ERA in 13 previous starts against New York.
The injury-plagued Reds lost two more players to lower body injuries in the fourth inning on Monday. Jonathan India aggravated the right hamstring injury that forced him to miss 48 games over the first two months of the season while Mike Moustakas had to also leave early with a left calf strain.
“It’s sore. Wanted to stay in the game. It just grabbed on me,” Moustakas said after Monday’s loss.
Kyle Farmer was set to bat fifth and play third base for the Reds in Monday’s opener against the Mets but was scratched from the lineup with neck stiffness about an hour before first pitch.
“Farmer is dealing with something that we hope is not serious,” Reds manager David Bell said.
Right-hander Hunter Greene rejoined the Reds in New York Monday after receiving good news on his strained right shoulder. The team confirmed that an MRI showed no structural damage and no need for surgery. Greene was placed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 5 (retroactive to Aug. 2) with a right shoulder strain.
Right-handed reliever Jeff Hoffman was originally expected to be activated Monday, but his most recent bullpen session prompted a delay in the timetable.
“He wasn’t quite there. We thought he had a chance to come back by tomorrow, but based on the last time he threw, we’ve got to see it another time or two,” Bell said. “I think if the next time he feels great, we’ll probably activate him. He still felt a little something.”
