MMO Game Thread: Nationals vs Mets, Game 1 - 12:10 PM

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday, August 12, 2021 • 12:10 P.M.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
GAME ONE: LHP Sean Nolin (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (7-11, 2.83)
GAME TWO: RHP Erick Fedde (4-8, 5.15) vs. RHP Trevor Williams (4-2, 5.06)
SNY • MLBN (G1) • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

The Mets and Nationals cannot win with the weather this week – but at least the Mets actually won a game.

Yesterday was supposed to be a doubleheader with the conclusion of Tuesday’s game first, followed by a seven-inning game. The Mets bats woke up for the first game and kept coming back. Down 4-1? Came back. Down 7-4? Came back. The Mets ended up scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth and Edwin Díaz only needed eight pitches in the ninth to lock the game down. Since the Mets offense finally showed some life, the universe responded with rain and now we have a doubleheader today.

Mets Lineup

Brandon Nimmo – CF
Pete Alonso – 1B
Dominic Smith – LF
J.D. Davis – 3B
Jeff McNeil – 2B
Jonathan Villar – SS
Michael Conforto – RF
Tomas Nido – C
Marcus Stroman – RHP

Nationals Lineup

Victor Robles – CF
Alcides Escobar – SS
Juan Soto – RF
Josh Bell – 1B
Yadiel Hernandez – LF
Carter Kieboom – 3B
Luis Garcia – 2B
Riley Adams – C
Sean Nolin – LHP

The Mets as a team have played a ton of double headers and Marcus Stroman has made a lot of doubleheader starts. This will be his seventh time this year starting a doubleheader shortened game. He’s also the starting pitcher in the suspended game the Mets play at the end of the month – I’m anxiously awaiting to see if his spot lines up with that start too.

Anyway, Stroman allowed three runs from five hits and a walk in his last outing. The Mets would love for Stroman to get between 5-7 innings and give the bullpen a bit of rest. Stroman faced the Nationals back on April 24th, although that was a very different team, and he allowed five runs, four earned over four innings from eight hits and two walks. The Nationals have the following numbers against Stroman:

Juan Soto 2-3, 2B, HR, K
Yadiel Hernandez 2-2
Victor Robles 1-2, BB
Alicides Escobar 2-12, 3B, 3 K
Josh Bell 1-5, 2 BB, K

The Nationals selected the contract yesterday of Sean Nolin, and today, he’s getting the start! Nolin last pitched in the major leagues back in 2015 for the Athletics where he made 6 starts and logged 29.0 innings with a 5.28 ERA, 5.13 FIP, 1.621 WHIP and a 75 ERA+. Nolin’s career was derailed by injuries – he couldn’t play baseball in 2016 and 2017.

This past season, across two levels of the minors this year he has pitched in 12 games and made 9 starts, totaling 48.1 innings with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.262 WHIP. It’s a pretty amazing story to come back to the majors after so much time away.