Christian Scott pitches into the seventh

Scott struck out six before being pulled with a 7-4 lead after four innings. The early exit kept him 3-3, even though the Mets improved to 12-5 in his 17 starts. The four runs tied Scott’s high for the year. He still seems like a worthy mixed-league play at home against the James Wood-less Nationals on Sunday.

Scott breezed through the first three innings allowing just one hit and two base runners behind his blazing fastball. Then, he ran into trouble in both the fourth and fifth. He walked a tightrope to allow just one in the fourth after the inning began with a walk, double, and single. A beautiful back-door sweeper to Petey Halpin helped him out of that jam, but two more singles and walks apiece led to two more runs in the fifth and soiled a start that seemed more promising. Almost all of the damage against him came from left-handed batters, who continue to give Scott trouble. Yet, very few balls were struck well and Scott’s command was generally good, it was just one of those nights where the hits were falling. His 17 swings-and-misses tied a season-high and left this start with a 3.15 ERA through 74 1/3 innings. He’s lined up for a two-start week coming up against the Braves and Nationals.

Scott stood up to the tall task of battling with the Braves’ lineup and Chris Sale in this game. He matched Sale with zeroes over the first five innings, but gave up a run in the sixth after nine-hitter Jim Jarvis got him for a two-strike double and Matt Olson later drove him in. As far as silver linings go, this was the first time this season that Scott completed six innings and he was highly effective on the whole. His fastball led the way with 10 swings-and-misses and he threw it more than half of the time. Facing a lineup with six left-handed hitters, Scott had to shy a bit away from his trusted sweeper and instead threw some cutters plus more curveballs and splitters than usual. He’s been working hard to make those last two pitches more consistent and while they didn’t miss bats, it was encouraging to see his relative trust in them. He lowered his ERA to 2.99 in what’s been a breakout season so far and is lined up for a two-start week against the Guardians and Pirates coming up.

Manaea held his own with an impressive showing against the Dodgers last Friday, allowing just one run over six innings. It’ll be burgeoning star Christian Scott taking the ball opposite Braves ace Chris Sale during Wednesday’s nightcap at Citi Field. Get your popcorn ready for that one.

He struck out six. The runs all came in the second, with Joey Ortiz’s two-run triple to right serving as the big blow. That ball really ought to have been caught, though, and probably would have been had the Mets started Luis Robert Jr. or Tyrone Taylor in the outfield today instead of playing Brett Baty in right. If it had been caught, there’s a good chance Scott would have gotten through four scoreless and continued to pitch into the fifth. As is, he was done very early, and his ERA rose from 2.87 to 3.13. He should still be a nice option in mixed leagues next week with home starts against the Braves and Marlins.

The 27-year-old hurler scattered three hits on the evening and didn’t walk a batter. Two of the three hits that he surrendered were doubles to Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, but he was able to evade any damage being done. Scott generated 12 swings and misses on 79 offerings in the contest — five of them on his fastball — while registering a strong CSW of 35 percent. He’ll look to replicate this fine effort as he carries a 2.87 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 72/26 K/BB ratio (59 2/3 innings) into Wednesday’s battle against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Scott provided some quality innings for a Mets team that desperately needed it after allowing 45 runs in their last four games. His fastball and sweeper were electric as usual, forcing eight of his 10 total swings-and-misses while working mostly to right-handed batters. It’s also worth noting how comfortable he was with his cutter against left-handed batters. A bit of a problem spot for him this season, he crowded them with it, got a handful of called strikes, and forced soft contact every time it was put into play. He’s thrown it at least 20% of the time to lefties in four straight outings and its 35% usage rate in this game was his highest since May 1st. He’ll close a solid first half with a 3.17 ERA, 65 strikeouts, and 26 walks across 54 innings.

This start was a perfect microcosm for who Scott is as a pitcher right now. His fastball was electric at the top of the zone and forced eight of his 13 total swings-and-misses. Also, his sweeper was highly effective against right-handed batters. On the flip side, he allowed two home runs to left-handed batters and struggled to put them away. His cutter was effective against them though, which is something to watch moving forward as he tries to find a reliable weapon against lefties. On the season, he has a 3.49 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 25 walks through 49 innings. He’s scheduled to face the Royals next time out in his last start of the first half.

Scott pitched well in his first start back from the injured list after missing the last two weeks with a hip injury. The only blemish was a two-run homer by Bryce Harper in the third inning. Scott would pitch into the fifth, leaving with one out at 82 pitches. It was the sixth time in ten starts that Scott failed to complete five innings. The 27-year-old right-hander will take a 3.20 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 53/21 K/BB ratio across 45 innings into a start against the Braves in Atlanta on Friday.

Scott returns to New York’s rotation mix following a minimum stay on the injured list due to a hip impingement. The 27-year-old former top pitching prospect allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight consecutive starts prior to being tagged for four runs over 4 2/3 innings by the Cardinals during his last start before landing on the shelf. He holds an encouraging 3.10 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 47/19 K/BB ratio across 40 2/3 innings this season. There’s some risk right out of the gate for fantasy managers in a matchup against Philadelphia’s high-powered lineup, but he’s a worthwhile pickup in deeper leagues where he was dropped.