MMO Game Thread: Mets vs Nationals, 7:05 PM (Updated Lineup)

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 • 7:05 p.m.
Nationals Park • Washington, D.C.
RHP Logan Verrett (3-4, 4.14) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (8-5, 3.52)
SNY • ESPN2 • WOR 710 AM • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets are fully on salvage mode for this series now. Last night Harvey struggled through 3.2 innings battling the rain and also his command, but somehow only allowed 1 run. The offense couldn’t string together hits though and the bullpen later in the game faltered leading up to a 5-0 loss. Further adding to the stress, Logan Verrett makes the spot start today for Steven Matz who is battling bone spurs.

New York is 2-4 on its seven-game road trip which concludes tonight. The Mets are 21-20 on the road this season. They begin an 11-game homestand, the longest of the year, tomorrow night against the NL Central leading Cubs for four games. Then the Marlins come in for three games followed by a four-game series vs. Washington.

Mets Lineup

Alejandro De Aza – RF
Neil Walker – 2B
Yoenis Cespedes – CF
James Loney – 1B
Asdrubal Cabrera – SS
Kelly Johnson – 3B
Brandon Nimmo – LF
Rene Rivera – C
Logan Verrett – RHP

Nationals Lineup

Ben Revere – CF
Jayson Werth – LF
Bryce Harper – RF
Daniel Murphy – 2B
Wilson Ramos – C
Ryan Zimmerman – 1B
Anthony Rendon – 3B
Danny Espinosa – SS
Max Scherzer – RHP

Verrett is 3-4 over 20 games and 4 starts this year logging 41.1 innings with a 4.14 ERA. His first two spots starts in the season were great as he pitched 12.0 innings allowing no runs. His next two were not so great. In May he allowed 7 ER over 2.2 innings and in June, he allowed 5 ER over 4.0 innings in Milwaukee. So far this season against Washington, he has pitched 2.2 scoreless innings allowing 2 hits, 3 walks and striking out 2. The Nationals have the following numbers against Logan:

Rendon 1-3
Espinosa 0-1
Ramos 0-2
Werth 0-2
Zimmerman 0-1
Harper 0-1
Lobaton 0-1
Murphy 1-1, 2B

The Mets bats will try to figure it out against Max Scherzer who is 8-5 over 16 starts and 107.1 innings this year with a 3.52 ERA. He also leads the league in homers allowed at 20. Max is coming off of his first bad start in 5 starts where he allowed 5 ER over 6.o innings (previously 4 ER over 28.0 innings). In his one start against the Mets this year he went 6.1 innings, allowing 2 ER, both solo homers, while striking out 20. The Mets have the following numbers against Scherzer: