Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday, April 25, 2021 • 1:10 P.M.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
LHP Patrick Corbin (0-2, 10.95) vs. RHP Taijuan Walker (0-1, 3.21)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

Saturday was pretty much the opposite of Friday night and now the Mets have a rubber game before another week with multiple off days.

The game on Saturday got off to an ominous start as the first batter of the game hit a ball, not well, towards Michael Conforto. It took a short hop and then somehow got beyond him, turning a soft-single into a triple, which then led to a run on a flyout from the next batter. From there, the game started to fall apart as Marcus Stroman, who should have had an easy first inning, started to fall apart and then Stephen Tarpley, fresh off his call up, allowed multiple runners and runs without an out, leading to the infamous infinity ERA. This was coupled by silent Mets bats outside of a two hit day by Pete Alonso and Conforto’s first homer of the season led to a long afternoon.

Mets Lineup

  1. Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
  2. Pete Alonso (R) 1B
  3. Francisco Lindor (S) SS
  4. J.D. Davis (R) 3B
  5. Michael Conforto (L) RF
  6. James McCann (R) C
  7. Jonathan Villar (S) 2B
  8. Albert Almora Jr. (R) CF
  9. Taijuan Walker (R) P

Nationals Lineup

  1. Josh Harrison (R) 2B
  2. Yadiel Hernandez (L) RF
  3. Trea Turner (R) SS
  4. Josh Bell (S) 1B
  5. Kyle Schwarber (L) LF
  6. Starlin Castro (R) 3B
  7. Yan Gomes (R) C
  8. Victor Robles (R) CF
  9. Patrick Corbin (L) P

So it’s up to Taijuan Walker to get the Mets back in the win column and prevent them from falling below .500. In three starts and 14.0 innings this year he has a 3.21 ERA, 2.74 FIP, 1.429 WHIP and a 122 ERA+. He’s coming off of a confusing start in Chicago where he only pitched 3.2 innings, allowed three runs, two earned. In that start, he allowed two hits but walked six (while striking out seven). Some of the problems he created on the mound, but there were throwing errors behind him and he got squeezed by the umpire multiple times. In the inning where everything fell apart, he walked a batter on four pitches but at least two of them were very clearly in the strike zone. After he got pulled from the game, he got ejected for giving the umpire his opinion of the game thus far. The Nationals have the following numbers against Walker:

  • Kyle Schwarber 1-for-2, HR, BB
  • Alex Avila 4-for-7, 2 HR, 4 BB
  • Trea Turner 1-for-2 2B, BB
  • Josh Bell 1-for-2, 2B, BB
  • Josh Harrison 1-for-3, 2B
  • Ryan Zimmerman 1-for-3, 2B, K
  • Yan Gomes 2-for-5, K
  • Jordy Mercer 0-for-1, 2 BB
  • Starlin Castro 0-for-3, K

The Mets draw lefty Patrick Corbin for the series ender. In 12.1 innings this year, the southpaw has a 10.95 ERA, 7.72 FIP, 1.865 WHIP and 37 ERA+. He’s coming off a great start though, where he held the Cardinals scoreless over six innings and only allowed four hits while walking none. This lowered his ERA from 21.32 to 10.95 (he really had two rough starts to start off 2021). In three starts against the Mets last year he allowed eight runs, seven earned over 18.2 innings (3.38 ERA) from 23 hits, six walks and 15 strikeouts. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

  • Dominic Smith 2-for-3
  • James McCann 1-for-2, 2B, BB, K
  • Michael Conforto 9-for-25, 2B, 5 HR, BB, 7 K
  • Jonathan Villar 9-for-19, 3 2B, 5 K
  • J.D. Davis 7-for-26, 3 2B, 3 HR, 3 BB, 8 K
  • Pete Alonso 6-for-23, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 10 K
  • Brandon Nimmo 4-for-18, BB, 8 K
  • Jeff McNeil 3-for-16, 2B, BB, 3 K
  • Francisco Lindor 1-for-5, 2 K

Let’s go Mets!