LONDON — Cheerio, mate. The Mets have landed in London.
The international series is set to kick off this weekend with the Mets facing the Philadelphia Phillies in a two-game rivalry series at London Stadium. Coming off a sweep of the Washington Nationals, the Mets are looking to continue playing the kind of baseball they played over their last three games and put the month of May firmly behind them.
After going 9-19 last month, the team re-evaluated its processes and upped the level of intensity and urgency. They’ll need to keep that level high this weekend in the U.K. It’s set to be an eventful weekend with events planned to help grow the game in Europe and family and friends in town to see the sights. It’s a fun weekend for all involved, but make no mistake, it’s still business as usual when it comes to the on-field play.
The Mets enter the series as the fourth-place team in the NL East with a 27-35 record, 3.5 games out of an NL Wild Card spot. The Phillies, on the other hand, are the top team in the NL with a 44-19 record. If the Mets can pull off a two-game sweep, it could make a statement in the division.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2024 MLB London Series:
GAME TIMES
The Mets and Phillies will start the weekend with a workout Friday afternoon at London Stadium before opening the series Saturday at 1:10 p.m., ET/6:10 p.m. BST (London local time). Sunday, the two will conclude the series at 10:10 a.m., ET/3:10 BST. Games will be aired on FOX (Saturday) and ESPN (Sunday). Keith Raad and Pat McCarthy will be on the call for the radio broadcasts on WCBS 880 and WINS 92.3 FM HD2.
With a five-hour time difference, there will be some adjustments to make when it comes to sleep schedules for both teams. The Mets left from Washington on Wednesday night and arrived early Thursday morning for an off day. They’ll have only one day to adjust to EST after leaving London.
The Miami Marlins make their first trip to Citi Field next week at a time when the Mets might find themselves struggling with jet lag. It’s a quick turnaround, but these were the cards the Mets were dealt.
ABOUT LONDON STADIUM
London Stadium typically serves as the home to West Ham United Football Club of the Premier League, but it was designed and built for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events were held at the venue, which was formerly called Olympic Stadium.
Located in the Stratford district in the eastern part of the city, it held 80,000 spectators for the Olympic Games, and seated about 56,000 for the last two baseball series, played between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox in 2019, and the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals last season.
Both series had near-capacity crowds. There were also a lot of runs both years, with the Yankees and Red Sox combining for 12 runs in the first inning of the first game in 2019. The offense was tempered last season, at least relatively speaking, with the Cubs and Cards combining for 22 runs over two games in 2023 (Chicago won 9-1 and 7-5).
Mets lefty Sean Manaea will get the start in Game 1, facing left-hander Ranger Suarez. This is the “home” game for the Amazins’. Former Mets right-hander Taijuan Walker will get the start in the second game, facing left-hander Jose Quintana in the “away” contest.
ABOUT THE PHILLIES
Philadelphia boasts arguably the best pitching staff in the league. The team’s 2.92 ERA is the second-best in baseball and the starting staff’s 2.64 ERA is the best. The rotation has pitched more innings than any other team (375 1/3).
It’s a complete lineup but the team’s .737 OPS has been significantly aided by Bryce Harper, who is having an outstanding season with an .890 OPS and 14 home runs. Between Harper and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, new fans should have plenty of character and charisma to root for this weekend in the U.K.
The Phillies took two of three from the St. Louis Cardinals before sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers this week, so like the Mets, they also come into the series riding a three-game win streak.
