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New York Mets Series Preview vs. Tampa Bay Rays August 7th-9th

By Kenneth Teape

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Mar 15, 2015; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Bobby Wilson (60) tags out New York Mets left fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis (9) at home plate during the second inning tat Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

A week ago at this time, things were looking gloomy for the New York Mets. They just had a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for Carlos Gomez fall through, causing an awkward situation with Wilmer Flores, who was wearing his emotions on his sleeve. They then went on to blow a huge lead against the San Diego Padres, as it looked like the Mets would not be able to get out of their own way.

But, then something happened out of the ordinary happened; the Mets ponied up and acquired an impact bat to go in the middle of their lineup. Yoenis Cespedes came over from the Detroit Tigers, bringing with him an aura of confidence and swagger the Mets had not had in some time. It has resulted in a six-game winning streak, as the Mets haven’t lost since acquiring Cespedes, sweeping the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins.

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The recent hot streak has the Mets dominating the back pages of newspapers, and atop the NL East by two games over the Nationals. They will now look to keep the good vibes going, as they finish their Florida road trip with a rare visit to St. Petersburg to take on the Tampa Bay Rays. Here are the pitching matchups for the weekend series.

Game 1: Jacob deGrom (10-6, 2.09 ERA) vs. Jake Odorizzi (6-6, 2.66 ERA)
Game 2: Noah Syndergaard (6-5, 2.66 ERA) vs. Nate Karns (6-5, 3.37 ERA)
Game 3: Bartolo Colon (10-10, 4.72 ERA) vs. Chris Archer (10-8, 2.52 ERA)

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This is a much bigger series than people would have anticipated when they saw this during the MLB schedule release. Both teams are in the midst of playoff races, as the Mets are trying to hold off the Nationals for their division lead, while the Rays are clinging onto their slim playoff hopes in the AL Wild Card race.

We will see some extremely bright young arms in this series, something the Mets and Rays are both chock full of. The matchup between deGrom and Odorizzi will probably draw the most attention, but Archer is arguably the most talented of the bunch. The young righty is the ace of the Rays staff, following in the footsteps of David Price, who was traded to the Detroit Tigers last season.

If the Mets are to take control of the NL East, this is a series they need to win. Despite the strong seasons the Rays pitchers are having that they will face off against, they have the matchup advantage on paper in two of the three games. Can they extend their win streak and division lead this weekend before heading back home?

You’ll have to tune in and see as the Mets and Rays will begin their three-game series Friday at 7:10 PM ET. Check out our series preview and other things to watch for when the Mets and Rays take the field this weekend.

Next: Unexpected Offense

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