New York Mets (22-32) at Washington Nationals (28-29)
RHP Jeremy Hefner vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann
Starting Lineup
- Omar Quintanilla – SS
- Daniel Murphy – 2B
- David Wright – 3B
- Lucas Duda – LF
- John Buck – C
- Ike Davis – 1B
- Jordany Valdespin – RF
- Rick Ankiel – CF
- Jeremy Hefner – RHP
Game Notes
The Mets have dropped three straight following their five-game winning streak and are 5-5 in over the last 10 games. They are 10-15 on the road this year. The Mets’ odds are so long now, that they are now among the three biggest longshots in MLB of going to the 2013 World Series according to this sports betting site. Maybe Jeff Wilpon was right?
Daniel Murphy ranks sixth in the NL with a .343 road batting average. The Mets will play 14 of their next 23 games away from Citi Field.
The Mets hit three home runs on Sunday at Miami (Lucas Duda, Omar Quintanilla and Ike Davis). It was the fifth time this season the Mets had three home runs in a game, last accomplished on May 4 at Atlanta. New York achieved that feat three times in the club’s first 15 games of the season.
The Mets have scored three runs or fewer in 10 of their last 16 games. The team is 7-9 over that span. New York is hitting .220 (116-527) over that period. The Mets have a .227 team batting average ranking 30th in the majors.
Lucas Duda hit his 10th home run of the year in the Mets’ 54th game, putting him exactly on pace for 30 home runs. Over his last 17 games, Duda is batting .297 (19-64) with five doubles, two home runs and seven RBI and is also tied for ninth in the majors with 28 walks.
Ike Davis is hitting .292 (7-24) with one double, one home run and seven RBI over his last seven games dating back to May 26. Davis has multi-RBI games in three of those seven games.
Over their last 10 games, Mets starters have tossed 62.0 innings and issued 10 walks, while notching 64 strikeouts. Overall, Mets starters have a 4.28 ERA, ranking 19th in the majors.
Matt Harvey set a franchise record on Sunday with his no-decision at Miami. It was his 12th start of the season without a loss. Armando Reynoso went 11 starts to begin the year without a loss in 1997.
The pen had a 1.20 ERA (two earned runs/15.0 innings) from May 25-31, before allowing 10 earned runs in 7.0 innings (12.85 ERA) over the final two games vs. the Marlins. New York relievers had seven victories in May, the third-most in the majors. Overall, the bullpen ranks 30th in the majors with a 4.90 ERA. Bobby Parnell has converted seven straight save chances.
Marlon Byrd collected his 1,100th career hit on Sunday at Miami with his RBI single in the fifth inning.
The Mets have committed at least one error in each of their last six games, their longest streak since they made an error in seven straight games from July 20-26, 2011.
Game Preview
The Mets look to forget their last series with the Marlins in its entirety as they welcome the Nationals into New York. The last time the Mets were in New York, they swept the Yankees, let’s hope that’s the Mets team we see tonight as Hefner takes the mounds for the Mets and takes on Zimmermann.
Jeremy Hefner is 1-5 this season over 57.0 innings with a 4.74 ERA. In his last two starts he has pitched 12.0 innings with a 3.75 ERA as he has become a more stable part of the Mets rotation (most of the time at least). Against the Nationals earlier this season he allowed 3 ER over 4.0 innings of work. The Nationals have the following numbers against Hefner:
LaRoche 2-10, HR
Espinosa 5-10, 2 2B, 2 HR
Zimmerman 2-8
Desmond 1-8, HR
Lombardozzi 2-6
Jordan Zimmermann is 8-3 over 11 games this season pitching 79.2 innings with a 2.37 ERA and a league leading 3 complete games. Jordan has become one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. He is also coming off of by far his worst start of the season where he allowed 7 ER over 6 innings of work which saw his season ERA jump from 1.71 to 2.37. Earlier this season against the Mets he allowed 2 ER over 5.0 innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against Jordan:
Wright 9-28, 2 2B, 2 HR
Murphy 7-24, 2 2B, HR
Davis 4-16, 2B, HR
Buck 4-13, 2B, HR
Duda 2-12, 2B
Valdespin 1-7, HR
Lets Go Mets!
