The Texas Rangers (77–70) head into Queens tonight to face the New York Mets (76–71) at Citi Field in an interleague matchup between two teams moving in opposite directions.

The Mets have lost six in a row, including four to divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies. The NL East race is effectively over with the Mets down by 11 games in mid-September. New York also has seen its hold over the third Wild Card spot become more precarious, with the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants just 1.5 games behind. Simply put, if the Mets don’t stop losing, they might not make the playoffs this year.

The Rangers, meanwhile, have won four straight and seven of their last 10, climbing to within two games of both the final American League Wild Card spot and the AL West lead. After entering the second half a game under .500, Texas has gone 29–21, powered by the best pitching staff in baseball. Their 3.42 ERA leads the majors.

On the mound tonight is former Met Jacob deGrom, the ace of the Rangers’ rotation. The 37-year-old righty, drafted by New York in 2010, spent nine seasons in Queens before leaving in free agency.

This year he’s 11–7 with a 2.78 ERA, and on track for his most starts since 2019. While he’s 1–5 with a 4.34 ERA over his last seven outings, that stretch was inflated by back-to-back rough starts in late July and early August. Since then, he’s settled down with a 2.67 ERA, though he’s generally only gone about five innings, leaving plenty of work for the bullpen.

The Mets start rookie Jonah Tong, another homegrown product making his third MLB appearance. After dazzling in his debut, Tong struggled against the Reds in his last outing, giving up four runs on three homers and issuing four walks. Still, with the Mets’ veterans faltering, the club is relying on prospects like him to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Prediction

This is a high-pressure outing for Tong, and the Rangers’ pitching edge gives them a strong advantage. Expect deGrom to deliver five quality innings against his former club, but the Mets’ offense is capable of scratching out runs against the Texas bullpen. The margin of error for New York, however, is razor thin.

Prediction: Rangers 4, Mets 3

Starting Lineup

Texas Rangers

1. Josh Smith — SS

2. Wyatt Langford — LF

3. Joc Pederson — DH

4. Jake Burger — 1B

5. Josh Jung — 3B

6. Adolis Osuna — RF

7. Jonah Heim — C

8. Cody Freeman — 2B

9. Michael Helman — CF

Starting Pitcher: Jacob deGrom (RHP) — 11–7, 2.78 ERA

New York Mets

1. Francisco Lindor — SS

2. Juan Soto — RF

3. Pete Alonso — 1B

4. Brandon Nimmo — LF

5. Mark Vientos — DH

6. Jeff McNeil — 2B

7. Brett Baty — 3B

8. Francisco Álvarez — C

9. Cedric Mullins — CF

Starting Pitcher: Jonah Tong (RHP) — 1–1, 4.09 ERA

How to Watch Rangers vs. Mets

First pitch for tonight’s game between the Texas Rangers and New York Mets is set for 7:10 PM Eastern at Citi Field in Flushing.

The game airs live on MLB Network for out-of-market viewers. Local fans can tune in on SNY and Rangers Sports Network.

Looking to catch the game for free? The MLB Network is available on streaming on DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV, all of which offer free trials.

Texas Rangers vs. New York Mets

Date: Friday, September 12, 2025

First Pitch: 7:10 PM Eastern

Venue: Citi Field, New York, NY

TV: MLB Network, SNY (New York), Rangers Sports Network

Streaming: MLB.TV