Juan Soto has 12 hits and 5 home runs off Aaron Nola as Mets open series against Phillies

We have reached the unofficial second half of the MLB Season. I mention it being unofficial, as we are about 95+ games played for all teams at this point, meaning fewer than 70 games are remaining for any team to make a move. We saw the first decent trade of the season with Lance McCullers Jr. going from Houston to Milwaukee. I can't wait to see what the deadline brings and how the race to the postseason plays out.

Let's start this "second half" on the right foot with a win in the game between the Mets and Phillies.

The New York Mets are among the most disappointing teams in the Majors. In order for them to win enough games and make it to the postseason, they will need to play something like .650 or better baseball. That's not official math from me, but they are 17 games under .500 at the moment. With 70ish games left, they would probably need to go 50-20 or something to have a realistic shot. That would put them about 10 games over .500. They are only ahead of the Colorado Rockies in the Wild Card race, and I probably don't need to explain that the Rockies have no chance to make the postseason.

Perhaps there will be a turnaround. They are going to want to get off to a good start, and they turn to Christian Scott today to give them a good outing. Scott, for the year, is 2-1 with a 3.17 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He has been slightly better on the road with a 2.79 road ERA. He really hasn't had a bad start this season, but he also hasn't completed six innings in any of his 12 outings. He did face the Phillies one this season and went 4.1 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs.

PHILLIES FIRE ROB THOMSON, MAKE DON MATTINGLY INTERIM MANAGER AFTER DISMAL START TO THE SEASON

The Philadelphia Phillies already had their turnaround, and they've been dominating ever since. I've written about it many times, but after a disastrous start, they fired their manager. Don Mattingly is now at the helm, and he continues to prove that he is a transformational manager. He did well as the Dodgers manager and then led the Marlins to their first playoff appearance in 17 years. Now he is helping the Phillies get comfortable and in position to once again be a tough out in the playoffs. I don't usually think managers have an impact, but he clearly has done well.

It also helps that the Phillies have a very good team and a solid roster. One dude that they need to get back in line if they want him to pitch in the postseason is today's starter, Aaron Nola. Before the All-Star break, Nola went 3-6 with a 5.75 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He's only 33 years old, so I don't think he has fallen off a cliff, but he clearly isn't pitching all that well. Nola has been rough at home, allowing 29 earned runs in 38.1 home innings. July, so far, has been his best month of work. The Mets are hitting .257 against him, but he did have a decent outing against them earlier in the season.

I am not quite sure what to make of the total. Nola has been giving up too many runs, and it seems like the Mets are cautious with Scott, but he could still allow a few runs before his day is done. Perhaps a better bet than taking the total is a player prop. Juan Soto is 12-for-45 against Nola with five home runs. He is +232, so it isn't a great number, but still might be worth it.

METS' JUAN SOTO MAKES COMPARISON ABOUT KISSING GIRLS TO EXPLAIN RUMORED STRAIN WITH FRANCISCO LINDOR

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My official play will be on the Mets through five innings. I don't like the way that Nola has pitched, but I really don't trust the Mets for a full game. Maybe Nola has turned around, but Scott has been more consistent between the two. Give me the Mets through five innings to start the second half of the season.

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