Series Preview: Mets Return To Citi Field For Three With Nationals

Having been swept three games at Wrigley Field by the Chicago Cubs, The New York Mets (7-7), return to Citi Field Friday night to open a five-game home stand with three games against Dave Martinez‘s Washington Nationals (7-9). The Mets went 2-4 on their road trip to Colorado and Chicago. After the series with Washington, the Boston Red Sox will visit Flushing for two games before the Mets hit the road once again, venturing down the turnpike to Philadelphia.

The Mets, who were awful defensively in Chicago, faced some rough weather in both Denver and Chicago. The weather looks good for both Friday night’s and Saturday’s games, though the forecast is for an all-day rain on Sunday that could impact the series finale.

Let’s take a look at the projected pitching matchups for the series.

Friday, April 23, RHP Jacob deGrom (1-1, 0.45) NYM vs. RHP Erick Fedde (1-1, 5.56) WSH, 7:10 pm

The Mets will look to their top starter to play the role of stopper on Friday night, as they seek to end their three-game losing streak.

DeGrom was set to start Thursday in Chicago, but asked for an extra day of rest. The ace was outstanding in his last start, April 17 against the Rockies. In that game, deGrom pitched six innings, allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out 14 batters, the second consecutive game in which he did so. The DeLand, FL native left the seven-inning game trailing by a 3-2 score, but the Mets scored twice in their last at-bat to enable deGrom to record the win after an Edwin Diaz save.

On the season over three starts, deGrom is 1-1 with a 0.45 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP. He has struck out 35 in 20 innings pitched, while walking three and surrendering 11 hits. At this point, there’s little doubt that the two-time Cy Young award winner is the best pitcher in baseball.

Fedde is in his fifth season, all with Washington, mostly as a spot starter and long reliever. He has a career record of 9-12 with a 5.13 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. He has made three starts this season, pitching to a 1-1 record and a 5.56 ERA. Fedde had a tough start on April 7 against Atlanta, allowing six runs in 1.2 innings. Since then, he’s tossed 9.2 innings, allowing just two runs.

The game can be seen locally on SNY and heard locally on WCBS radio 880 a.am.

Saturday, April 24, RHP Marcus Stroman (3-0, 0.90) NYM vs. RHP Joe Ross (1-1, 5.87) WSH, 4:05 pm

Stroman has been outstanding thus far for the Mets, posting a 0.90 ERA and a 0.65 WHIP to go with his 3-0 record. He’s allowed 10 hits and three walks, walking three over 20 innings pitched. In his last start against Colorado on April 18, Stroman threw eight innings, letting up one run on three hits.

Stroman has established himself as the team’s number two starter. Having accepted the qualifying offer after sitting out the 2020 season, the Long Island native is on his way to a significant payday this off season.

Ross has pitched to a 5.87 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP this season. The Berkeley, CA native is in his sixth season, all with the Nationals. He has a career record of 22-20 and a career ERA of 4.36. Ross has generally been a starter, though in Washington’s championship season of 2019, he appeared in 27 games, starting only nine.

In his last start against the Cardinals on April 19, Ross took the loss, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing ten earned runs on eight hits.

The game can be seen locally on SNY and heard locally on WCBS radio 880 a.am.

Sunday, April 25, RHP Taijuan Walker (0-1, 3.21) NYM vs. LHP Patrick Corbin (0-2, 10.95) WSH, 1:10 pm

Walker has had two good starts and one bad one, resulting in his 3.21 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. In his first two starts against Miami and Philadelphia, Walker threw 10.1 innings combined, allowing three runs. In his last start against the Cubs, Walker went just 3.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned). His big issue in that game was his bases on balls. He allowed six free passes to the Cubs.

Corbin has had a rough go thus far in 2021. He’s made three starts, the first two were bad, and his most recent start was much better. On April 10 against the Dodgers, Corbin went 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on six hits to the reigning world champions. He backed that up with a dreadful outing on April 16 against the Diamondbacks, throwing two innings, surrendering ten runs (nine earned) on six hits. On April 20, Corbin tossed six shutout innings against the Cardinals.

Corbin has a 10.95 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP in 2021. Over his nine-year career, six with Arizona and three with Washington, the Clay, NY native has a 72-70 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Corbin has won 14 games in a season three times, 2013, 2017, and 2019.

The game can be seen locally on SNY and heard locally on WCBS radio 880 a.am.

Series Notes for the Nationals

Pitcher Stephen Strasburg and outfielder Juan Soto are on the injured list and will miss this series

Washington starters have a 5.29 ERA, their relievers have a 4.06 ERA, and their staff ERA is 4.76, 28th in the major leagues

Washington is batting .253 as a team, fifth overall in baseball

Nationals’ leaders in OPS are Josh Harrison (1.021), Trea Turner (.883), Soto (.870), Starlin Castro (.653)

Victor Robles is hitting .204 with a .595 OPS, and Josh Bell is hitting .161 with a .573 OPS

Series Notes for the Mets

Brandon Nimmo remains on the active roster, however he has been dealing with a hip issue that has kept him out of the starting lineup in the Mets’ last two games

The Mets, particularly their starters, have been pitching well. Their starters’ ERA is 2.93, their relievers’ ERA is 4.61, for an overall staff ERA of 3.53 (7th in baseball)

The Mets are batting .239 as a team, 11th in baseball

Mets OPS leaders are Nimmo (.935), Pete Alonso (.793), and Dominic Smith (.691)

Alonso leads the team with four home runs on the season, including two in his last two games

Kevin Pillar has two hits in 22 at-bats

The Mets are struggling  for two primary reasons. First, they have been fielding very poorly, and second, they have not been hitting in with runners in scoring position. With deGrom on the mound Friday night, the opportunity is there to get back on track against a division opponent.

It’s early in the season. The Mets have not even played ten percent of their schedule. But as Yogi Berra famously said, “It gets late early around here.”