Thursday, September 20, 2018 • 7:05 p.m.
Nationals Park • Washington, D.C.
LHP Jason Vargas (6-9, 6.47) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (17-7, 2.53)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050 AM

With yesterday’s loss against the Phillies the Mets clinched another losing season. Now with the winning record dream gone, not that there was much of a chance anyway, they head down 95 to play for pride against the Nationals.

Mets Lineup

  1. Amed Rosario – SS
  2. Jeff McNeil – 2B
  3. Michael Conforto – RF
  4. Jay Bruce – 1B
  5. Dominic Smith – LF
  6. Brandon Nimmo – CF
  7. Jose Reyes – 3B
  8. Kevin Plawecki – C
  9. Jason Vargas – LHP

Nationals Lineup

  1. Victor Robles – CF
  2. Trea Turner – SS
  3. Bryce Harper – RF
  4. Anthony Rendon – 3B
  5. Juan Soto – LF
  6. Ryan Zimmerman – 1B
  7. Matt Wieters – C
  8. Adrian Sanchez – 2B
  9. Max Scherzer – RHP

And nothing says, “Hey! Let’s go out there and have some fun” quite like Jason Vargas. Yay Vargas. Vargas is 6-9 over 18 starts and 79.1 innings with a 6.47 ERA, 5.42 FIP, 1.538 WHIP and 57 ERA+. He’s coming off an average to good start where he allowed 2 runs over 6.0 innings and in his last 6 games he is 4-1 allowing 12 runs, 11 earned, over 32.0 innings which is a 3.09 ERA (made even better when you recall one of those starts was 5 runs, 4 earned over 3.1 innings). He shut out the Nationals in one start this year over 6.0 innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against him:

  • Wieters 6-21, 2B, BB
  • Reynolds 3-8, 2 2B, BB
  • Zimmerman 3-7, 2B
  • Eaton 1-5
  • Harper 0-3
  • Randon 0-3
  • Turner 0-3

The Mets could do deGrom a huge favor tonight and tag Scherzer for a bunch of runs and get him a loss. He is 17-7, leading the league in wins over 31 games and 206.2 innings (league leading, but deGrom is close despite missing starts). Over that time he has posted a 2.53 ERA, 2.66 FIP, 0.915 WHIP (league leading) and a 168 ERA+. In his last 6 starts he has pitched 43.0 innings allowing 9 runs while posting a 1.88 ERA. In one start against the Mets this year he allowed 3 runs off 5 hits in 7.0 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

  • Reyes 10-31, 2B, HR, 2 BB
  • Conforto 7-21, 3 HR, 2 BB
  • Bruce 5-16, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 BB
  • Flores 0-17, BB, 8 K
  • Plawecki 3-15, HR, 5 K
  • Nimmo 2-11, HR, BB, 6 K
  • Frazier 0-8, 3 K
  • Rosario 1-2, 2B

Game Notes

Brandon Nimmo has reached base safely in a career-high 26 straight games (.486 OBP). Nimmo is batting .344 (33-96) with a .479 OBP, 12 doubles, three homers, 15 RBI and 23 runs scored over his last 29 games dating to August 7.

Jason Vargas is 4-1 with a 3.09 ERA (11 earned runs/32.0 innings) and 27 strikeouts over his last six starts dating to August 14.

Rosario became the 33rd player in team history with 20 or more stolen bases in a season last night. He’s hitting .327 (51-156) with a .354 OBP, eight doubles, two triples, five homers, 20 RBI and 28 runs scored in his last 36 games.

Let’s Go Mets!