Saturday, August 25, 2018 • 4:05 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
RHP Tanner Roark (8-12, 4.05) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (8-6, 3.63)
SNY • FS1 • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets took the opener last night 3-0 behind Jason Vargas’ best start as a Met and a DL returning homer from Jay Bruce! Normally this is said sarcastically, but this time we mean it: this is just how the Mets drew it up in Spring. It wasn’t always a good plan as it took until now to work, but hey! A win is a win.

Mets Lineup

  1. Amed Rosario (R) SS
  2. Jeff McNeil (L) 2B
  3. Michael Conforto (L) CF
  4. Wilmer Flores (R) 1B
  5. Todd Frazier (R) 3B
  6. Jay Bruce (L) RF
  7. Jose Bautista (R) LF
  8. Kevin Plawecki (R) C
  9. Zack Wheeler (L) P

Nationals Lineup

  1. Adam Eaton (L) RF
  2. Trea Turner (R) SS
  3. Bryce Harper (L) CF
  4. Anthony Rendon (R) 3B
  5. Juan Soto (L) LF
  6. Ryan Zimmerman (R) 1B
  7. Matt Wieters (S) C
  8. Wilmer Difo (S) 2B
  9. Tanner Roark (R) P

Zack Wheeler gets the nod today. He is 8-6 over 24 games and 146.1 innings with a 3.63 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 1.210 WHIP and a 102 ERA+. In Wheeler’s last five games he has logged 32.0 innings with a 1.13 ERA while striking out 37. His last average start was against the Nationals where he allowed four runs over 7.2 innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against Wheeler:

  • Rendon 8-for-23, 4 BB
  • Harper 5-for-24, HR, 2 BB, 11 K
  • Zimmerman 8-for-20, 2 HE, 2 BB
  • Turner 4-for-11, 2B
  • Eaton 3-for-8, 2B
  • Taylor 3-for-5, 2B
  • Difo 1-for-5
  • Wieters 0-for-3

The Mets bats will take a crack at Tanner Roark who is 8-12 (league leading in losses) over 26 games and 25 starts logging 153.1 innings posting a 4.05 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.265 WHIP and a 105 ERA+. In his last six starts, he has logged 38.2 innings posting a 1.63 ERA. His two starts against the Mets recently. On July 31 he held the Mets to only one run over seven innings. On July 13 he allowed four runs over five innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Roark:

  • Conforto 4-for-20, 2 2B, HR, 4 BB
  • Bruce 3-for-19, 2B, 4 BB
  • Flores 4-for-16, 2 2B
  • Frazier 2-for-9, HR, 6 BB
  • Reyes 3-for-12, 2 BB
  • Rosario 1-for-10, 3B
  • Jackson 4-for-7
  • Bautista 1-for-6

Notes

The Mets will host the Staten Island Little League team tomorrow at Citi Field. Staten Island reached the semifinals in the US Bracket of the Little League World Series in Williamsport. The Little Leaguers will take batting practice on the field at 10:30 a.m. and meet members of the Mets before being honored in a pre-game ceremony.

Infielder Levi Michael was named to the Eastern League Postseason All-Star team. Michael ranks fourth in the league in batting average (.305), second in on-base percentage (.391), tied for fourth in doubles (30) and is fourth in runs scored (72) while hitting 10 homers and collecting 36 RBI.

Amed Rosario is second in the NL with nine stolen bases since the All-Star break. He has been successful in 14 of his last 16 stolen base attempts. Rosario is hitting .303 (20-66) with a .338 OBP and three doubles, two homers, 12 RBI and 12 runs scored in his last 15 games. Overall, he is tied for eighth in the NL with six triples.

Jeff McNeil established a franchise rookie record with hits in eight straight at-bats from August 19-22. John Milner held the previous rookie mark with hits in seven straight at-bats in 1972. The team record is nine consecutive at-bats with a hit, held by Jose Vizcaino (1996) and John Olerud (1998).

Let’s Go Mets!