5 things to watch as Mets open second half against Dodgers at Citi Field

Here are five things to watch as the Mets face the Chicago White Sox in a three-game set starting on Tuesday night at Citi Field...

1. Can the Mets offense break through?

The Mets’ offense has gotten off to a brutal start to the second half of the season.

They managed just 10 hits and three runs in the three-game series against the Dodgers. They were able to pull out a walk-off win on Sunday, snapping the losing streak, but it still wasn’t pretty.

Aside from Brandon Nimmo, who homered and doubled in the series, things just aren’t going well for this offense right now.

The Mets need to get back to playing the brand of baseball they were playing heading into the All-Star break. Perhaps the extra-inning win will help them get back in that direction.

We’ll see Tuesday night in the series opener.

2. Quintana’s return

Jose Quintana will finally make his Mets debut during this series against the White Sox.

The left-hander has been on the Injured List since dealing with a stress fracture in his rib which required surgery late in spring training. He has been working his way back and finally appears ready to roll.

Quintana made five minor league rehab appearances and allowed 10 runs (eight earned) over 15.2 innings of work. His last start was his worst, as he allowed five earned runs and walked three over 4.1 innings, but it was later revealed he was pitching through flu-like symptoms.

Perhaps a return to the big-league level, against the team he made his MLB debut with, will help spark a return to form.

Last season with the Pirates and Cardinals, the 34-year-old posted a career-low 2.93 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts over 32 outings. He specialized in keeping the ball in the park, allowing a league-leading 0.4 HR/9.

3. Can Carrasco build off his strong start?

This season has been a bit of a rough one for Mets right-hander Carlos Carrasco.

The veteran has struggled for the most part, pitching to a 5.16 ERA and 1.43 WHIP through 12 starts. He’s failed to pitch past the fifth inning in all but three of those starts and has allowed a homer in all but two.

Thanks to a new slider grip learned from a Pablo Lopez Instagram post, Carrasco put together his strongest start of the year in his last one of the first half. He shut out the Diamondbacks over eight innings of three-hit ball.

The right-hander had pitched into the seventh inning just once prior to the start and snapped a five-start winless streak. He’ll look to build off that outing on Tuesday night against the White Sox.

4. Watch out for Luis

The White Sox aren’t all that great this year, sitting in fourth place in the dreadful AL Central, but they do have some intriguing young pieces.

Most notable among them is All-Star outfielder Luis Robert Jr. We, of course, saw him in the Home Run Derby where he put up 28 homers in the first round and 22 in the second before being eliminated.

He was elected to participate in the ASG as well, but sat out after experiencing some tightness in his right calf after the derby.

Robert enjoyed a tremendous first half in the middle of the White Sox lineup. Across 89 games, he hit 26 home runs, tied for third in all of baseball with Pete Alonso, while knocking in 51 RBI and posting a .899 OPS.

He was red hot heading into the break, smacking 13 of those homers over his last 30 games, and he picked up where he left off driving in five runs in the three-game series against the Braves.

Robert is a big-time strikeout threat as well, posting 107 on the season already, seventh most in baseball. But there is no denying the power is for real, and now that he’s healthy, he’s putting it on full display.

5. Giolito on the bump

The Mets will have to deal with White Sox ace Lucas Giolito in the opening game of this series.

After struggling last season, the right-hander has been putting together a strong year. He’s pitched to a 3.44 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts through 19 starts. Eleven of those outings have been quality starts.

Giolito is coming off a solid start against the Cardinals in which he allowed just two runs on two hits while striking out five. He's posted five quality starts across seven outings since the beginning of June.

The former first-round pick, who was originally drafted by the Nationals, has faced the Mets three times in his career. He has a 3.07 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts in those three outings.