Thursday, June 15, 2017 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY LHP Gio Gonzalez (5-1, 2.91) vs.
RHP Robert Gsellman (5-3, 4.95)
SNY • MLBN • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050 AM

The Mets, off a series win against the Cubs, and a good weekend against the Braves, welcome the Nationals to town for a four game set. Last night the Mets got a sub-par start from Matt Harvey but the bullpen held the game together and the offense came out swinging late leading the Mets to a win. Now the Mets find themselves 4 games below .500 and 8.5 games out. A bad weekend here could destroy hope, an average weekend here maintains the status quo and a good weekend can send out strong optimistic hopes. Let’s go!

Nationals Lineup

  1. Trea Turner– SS
  2. Brian Goodwin – LF
  3. Bryce Harper – RF
  4. Ryan Zimmerman – 1B
  5. Daniel Murphy – 2B
  6. Anthony Rendon – 3B
  7. Matt Wieters – C
  8. Michael Taylor – CF
  9. Gio Gonzalez – LHP

Mets Lineup

  1. Juan Lagares – CF
  2. Wilmer Flores – 3B
  3. Yoenis Cespedes – LF
  4. Jay Bruce – RF
  5. T.J. Rivera – 2B
  6. Lucas Duda – 1B
  7. Rene Rivera – C
  8. Jose Reyes – SS
  9. Robert Gsellman – RHP

Robert Gsellman is 5-3 over 14 games and 11 starts over 63.2 innings with a 4.95 ERA, 4.27 FIP and 1.461 WHIP. In his last three starts he is 3-0 over 19.0 innings allowing 4 runs, 3 earned which is a 1.42 ERA. Opponents are batting .183 against him over this time. He had two starts against the Nationals last year where he allowed 1 run over 11.2 innings and 11 hits with 4 walks. The Nationals have the following numbers against Gsellman:

  • Turner 2-6
  • Harper 1-2, 3 BB
  • Murphy 2-5
  • Rendon 1-4, 2B
  • Zimmerman 3-5
  • Roark 1-4

The Mets bats draw Gio Gonzalez who is having, arguably, at least his best season since 2012 when he was 21-8 if not his best season overall. This year he is 5-1 over 13 games and 80.1 innings with a 2.91 ERA, 4.36 FIP and 1.320 WHIP. The last two stats are why he’s off the 2012 mark. In 2012 he had a 2.81 ERA and a 2.82 FIP, this year his FIP is much higher (and not surprisingly, so is his WHIP which is exactly at his career average). In his only start against the Mets this year, he pitched 6.1 innings allowing 2 hits and 3 walks leading to 1 run. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

  • Granderson 5-40, 2B, HR, 2 BB
  • Lagares 15-38, 3 2B, 3B, HR (1.030 OPS)
  • Bruce 3-20, 3 2B, 3 BB
  • Duda 3-19 2B, 3 BB
  • Flores 2-17, 2 BB
  • Walker 3-16, HR, 2 BB
  • d’Arnaud 3-16, 3 2B, BB
  • Reyes 6-13, 2B, 2 HR, BB
  • Cespedes 6-10, 2 HR, 2 BB
  • Conforto 0-2, BB

Notes – 

Gsellman ranks ninth among major league starting pitchers with a 55.3% groundball rate so far in 2017.

Lucas Duda moved into a ninth-place tie on the club’s all-time home run list with Edgardo Alfonzo with his three-run shot in the eighth-inning last night. Duda and Alfonzo have 120 career home runs with New York.

Addison Reed has tossed 8.2 scoreless innings dating to May 29 and has allowed 4 runs in his last 21.1 innings (1.69 ERA).

Let’s Go Mets!