Wednesday, September 4, 2019 • 1:05 p.m.
Nationals Park • Washington, D.C.
RHP Zack Wheeler (9-7, 4.41) vs. RHP Anibal Sanchez (8-6, 3.80)
YouTube • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050 AM
Tuesday night was bad for the Mets. They need to get as far away from it as they possibly can.
If you’re like me, and went to sleep when the Mets had a comfortable lead, then you missed the Mets bullpen having an epic meltdown, allowing seven runs in the ninth inning for the Nationals to win. It’s as if the karma the Mets had built all season long from jumping all over the Nationals bullpen came back in one night. Now the Mets must win this afternoon to win the series to try to keep up in the Wild Card race.
Mets Lineup
- Jeff McNeil 3B
- Pete Alonso 1B
- Michael Conforto RF
- Wilson Ramos C
- Robinson Cano 2B
- J.D. Davis LF
- Amed Rosario SS
- Juan Lagares CF
- Zack Wheeler P
Nationals Lineup
- Trea Turner SS
- Asdrubal Cabrera 2B
- Anthony Rendon 3B
- Juan Soto LF
- Ryan Zimmerman 1B
- Kurt Suzuki C
- Victor Robles CF
- Gerardo Parra RF
- Anibal Sanchez P
Zack Wheeler will try to get things on the right track for the Mets. He is 9-7 over 26 games and 161.1 innings with a 4.41 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 1.295 WHIP, and 93 ERA+. After three bad starts in a row where he allowed 14 runs in 16 innings, he took a step in the positive direction last time out holding the Phillies to one run over six innings. The Nationals have been a source of pain for Wheeler this year – tagging him for 20 runs off 25 hits and 12 walks in 22.2 innings (four games). The Nationals have the following numbers against him:
- Anthony Rendon 11-37, 6 BB, 4 K
- Ryan Zimmerman 8-27, 2 HR, 3 BB, 5 K
- Adam Eaton 10-22, 2 2B, 3 BB, 3 K
- Trea Turner 7-19, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 2 K
- Gerardo Parra 9-18, 2B, HR, BB
- Juan Soto 3-16, HR, 3 BB, 7 K
- Asdrubal Cabrera 1-12, BB, 2 K
- Victor Robles 3-10, 2B, BB, 2 K
The Mets bats will try to make an even larger lead today against Anibal Sanchez who is 8-6 over 25 games and 135 innings with a 3.80 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 1.319 WHIP, and 122 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has allowed four runs, three earned, over 13.1 innings. Against the Met this year he has allowed three runs over 6.1 innings from eight hits and two walks (two starts). The Mets have the following numbers against him:
- Robinson Cano 4-22, 2B, BB, 3 K
- Todd Frazier 1-21, 2 BB, 7 K
- Wilson Ramos 8-20, 2 2B, 3 BB, K
- Michael Conforto 1-11, HR, BB, 6 K
- Joe Panik 4-8, 3B
- Brandon Nimmo 1-3, 2 BB
- Amed Rosario 1-7, 2B
- J.D. Davis 2-4
- Jeff McNeil 1-3, 2B, BB
Game Notes
New York has won 11 of its last 15 series since the All-Star break, including nine of its last 12 series.
Wilson Ramos is on a career-high 26-game hitting streak (the longest active in the majors), batting .430 (43-100) with 10 runs, seven doubles, three homers, 18 RBI, three walks, a .452 OBP, a .590 SLG and a 1.042 OPS in that span. Ramos’ 26-game hitting streak is the longest single-season streak in the majors since Freddie Freeman hit in 30 straight games from August 24-September 28, 2016.
Pete Alonso by reached base safely in 29-straight games since August 2, setting a new Mets rookie record. It’s the longest active streak in MLB. Alonso is batting .313 (36-115) with 19 runs, six doubles, 10 home runs, 27 RBI, 11 walks, a .397 OBP, a .626 SLG and a 1.023 OPS in that span.
Mets starters are 20-9 with a 3.11 ERA (100 earned runs/289.1 innings) in the second half. That is the best mark in the majors. The staff’s 20 wins are tied for fourth in the majors and are tied for the most in the National League. The staff has struck out 288 in that span, which ranks third in the NL.
Let’s Go Mets!
