After a brief hiatus, I’m back with another Upcoming Series despite wanting nothing to do with the Mets right now. Maybe the Mets are reliant on my scouting reports for info. Must be cheaper than an advanced scout, after all. Now if they could only find a good infield coach…

Anyway, the Mets (32-29) continue the giant bore known as interleague play with a series against the Baltimore Orioles (27-36) at Camden Yards. Mike Pelfrey (4-2, 4.68) takes on Jeremy Guthrie (4-6, 5.52) in Tuesday’s opener. They’ll be followed by Tim Redding (0-2, 6.18) and Koji Uehara (2-4, 4.37) on Wednesday, and by Livan Hernandez (5-1, 4.33) and Jason Berken (1-3, 7.32) on Thursday.

Game 1: Jeremy Guthrie, RHP

What’s the Story? On the heels of two straight solid seasons, Guthrie has become the de facto ace of the Orioles’ pitching staff. Believe it or not, once upon a time, Guthrie was a Mets draftee, taken in the 15th round of the 1997 draft, following Guthrie’s senior year in high school. Guthrie would go on to be drafted two other times, eventually being taken by the Indians in the first round in 2002. Never able to break into their rotation, Guthrie was eventually put on waivers and grabbed by the O’s. Using his low-to-mid-90s heat, a very good slider, and an average curve and change, he’d been very effective over the past two seasons, showing outstanding control. This year’s been different however; he’s been slumping all season and currently sports a 5.52 ERA.

Last Year: Guthrie’s never faced the Mets.

What to Expect: Guthrie really doesn’t seem to have it this year, at least not through the first third of the season. Taking a quick glance at his stat line, there’s an easy culprit here. His strikeout and walk ratios are almost identical to his last year, but homeruns allowed are way up—in fact, he’s currently pacing the American League. His velocity’s been consistent from last year’s figure, but he’s throwing fewer of them, instead turning to his changeup more often. Maybe it’s just been a location problem, but this is probably a mistake—his fastball’s a better pitch, one that makes all his offerings more effective.

Game 2: Koji Uehara, RHP

What’s the Story? The Orioles brought the 34-year-old Uehara over from Japan during the offseason, signing him to a two-year, $10-million contract. Uehara, who had previously tinkered with signing with the Angels in 1997, brought a long track record of success as both a starter and reliever with the Yomiuri Giants, going 112-62 with a 3.01 ERA over his career. Thus far, the Orioles have to be happy with his performance; he’s been one of the more consistent pitchers they have. Uehara throws a high-80s fastball with a little bit of sink to it, and a whole bunch of other pitches, including a shuuto–a pitch that breaks somewhat similarly to a screwball—two different splitters, and a great forkball.

Last Year: Guess what? Never faced the Mets.

What to Expect: I’m actually looking forward to watching Uehara pitch for the first time. He gets a lot of sink on all his pitches, but he’s got a very low groundball rate. So low that I have no confidence that he’ll be able to maintain his low homerun rate. He does pair it with impeccable control, however, so maybe he’s just locating the ball uncannily well. He is coming off a hamstring injury; while he looked okay his first start back, the Orioles may still treat him a little tentatively.

Game 3: Jason Berken, RHP

What’s the Story? Berken was not one of the flashier names in the Orioles’ minor league system, but he put up some solid numbers, posting a 3.58 ERA, 125 strikeouts, and just 38 walks over 145.2 innings for Double-A Bowie in 2008. He’d been excellent for Norfolk—anybody else miss the Norfolk Tides?—in 2009 and got the call to the big leagues in late May. Berken’s more of a finesse guy, working a four-pitch repertoire that includes a low-90s fastball, a hard slider, a softer curve, and a changeup, all of which are average or above.

Last Year: Nope, never faced the Mets.

What to Expect: Despite some pretty decent velocity on his fastball, Berken really is more of a finesse guy. He doesn’t have a true out pitch, instead relying on his ability to throw strikes and mix his arsenal. It’s been a mixed bag for Berken since getting the call: his first two starts were quite good, but he’s been pretty hittable in the two since, getting tagged for 13 runs over 7.2 innings. He’ll need to have his command on his side to find success, because his stuff alone isn’t enough to get hitters out.

Overall

This might be the best trio control pitchers the Mets have faced all season, although Berken hasn’t shown it at the big league level yet. The Mets are very reliant on the walk, so it’s not a good matchup for them, but I’m feeling optimistic for some reason. I think the Mets take two out of three here, only dropping the middle game against Uehara. Berken and Guthrie are both slumping right now, so the Mets should be able to score some runs. Whether they will is, as always, another matter entirely.