New York at Arizona

The Mets were playing like a team that was going to contend for a wildcard spot in the National League, but the train has derailed. A stretch of going 2-12 in their last 14 games has left this team emotionally crippled and three games under the .500 mark for the season. The pitching has fallen apart and the bullpen has been overworked. The last 14 games have seen the Mets’ staff allow 84 runs or 6 runs per game. Jon Niese has a deceptive 7-4 record, as the Mets have a losing record in his 19 starts on the season. Josh Collmentor was awarded a spot in the D-Backs’ rotation, but four straight poor outings relegated him to the bullpen where he shined, and earned a spot back in the rotation. Those four starts saw him allow a total of 4 runs and he is pitching very well. The Mets are an ugly 0-9 in their last nine vs. a right-handed starter, while Arizona is 10-2 in their last 12 vs. a lefty. This is a favorable situation for the home team, so play on Arizona.