Series Preview: Mets Welcome Nationals

The Washington Nationals (18-31) are coming to New York to play the Mets (32-17) for the first time this season after the teams played their first two series in D.C. The Mets have finally swept a series, winning all three games against the Phillies this last weekend. They have a chance for back-to-back sweeps in this three-game series against the Nationals.

The offense was the name of the game for the Mets in their last series, as they scored 21 runs against the Phillies. Luis Guillorme had another successful series, going 3-3 in game two and 2-5 in game three. He took Brandon Nimmo’s customary place at the top of the order, as Nimmo was out with a sprained wrist. Luckily for the Mets, Guillorme was more than up to the challenge.

Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso also hit well during the series, although McNeil sat out for most of game three due to leg “wear and tear,” as Buck Showalter called it before the game.

The pitching faltered a bit in the series. The Mets were up 7-0 in game one, before the Phillies scored six runs in the sixth inning, to put them back in the game. In game three, the Mets were up 3-1 before Adam Ottavino surrendered a crushing three-run homer to Nick Castellanos in the eighth inning. Luckily for the Mets, Nick Plummer hit a home run and tied the game in the ninth, his first major league hit, and Eduardo Escobar won it in the tenth with a base hit that scored Marte.

The Nationals are coming into New York off an eight-game homestead against the Dodgers and the Rockies. They split their series with the Dodgers and won three of four against the Rockies. The series win against the Rockies was the Nationals first series win at home this season. It’s fair to say the Nationals, sitting in last place in the NL East, are not having a good year.

Part of the problem is that superstar Juan Soto has struggled this year. He’s leading the team with nine home runs, but his current slash line of .236/.381/.448 does not match his career numbers.

Soto did homer in the last game of the Nats’ series against the Rockies, helping them hang on to a 6-5 win. His manager, Dave Martinez, said that he felt Soto was questioning too many calls while at the plate, and that he needed to focus on seeing the ball and hitting the ball. Soto stated that he feels he has been swinging the bat better lately, so it seems like Martinez’s advice is working.

Although Soto has been struggling, the Nats have been getting some production from others at the plate, including Josh Bell, Cesar Hernandez, and Nelson Cruz. Bell is leading the team in batting average and is second in on-base percentage and slugging. Hernandez is leading the team in hits, while Cruz is leading the team in RBIs.

Monday, May 30, 2022: LHP David Peterson (2-0, 2.16 ERA) vs. RHP Erick Fedde (3-3, 3.55 ERA)

In his last start against the Giants, Peterson went six innings and gave up two runs while striking out six. He has been pitching well for the Mets this year and has really stepped up with the injuries to the starting rotation. Peterson has faced the Nationals three times in his career and has a 1.08 ERA against them in 16 2/3 innings. Unfortunately, Peterson has not faced many of the current Nationals. Only Bell, Soto, Maikel Franco, and Victor Robles have at-bats against Peterson, and Soto with four at-bats has the most of any of them.

Fedde was great for the Nationals his last time out, tossing six scoreless innings against the Dodgers and striking out six. When he faced the Mets back in April, Fedde went five innings and gave up two runs. Alonso and McNeil have solid numbers against Fedde. Alonso has a six hits, two of which were doubles, in 16 at-bats against Fedde. McNeil also has six hits against Fedde, with one double, in 14 at-bats.

Tuesday, May 31, 2022: RHP Trevor Williams (0-3, 4.37 ERA) vs. LHP Patrick Corbin (1-7, 6.30 ERA)

Williams has taken the long-man/spot-starter role and run with it this year for the Mets. He has appeared in eight games so far and has started three of them. MMO’s own James Villani wrote yesterday about how Williams is excelling in his new role with the Mets since he was acquired at the trade deadline last season. Williams has faced the Nationals twice in relief so far this year.

The first time, he gave up two runs in one inning of work. The second time was better, as he tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Williams’ last start for the Mets was in Colorado, which did not go very well, but he pitched great in his last outing against the Giants, when he relieved Thomas Szapucki, tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

Corbin has had a very rough season so far. Through his first nine starts, Corbin was 0-7 with a 6.60 ERA. Even his two no-decisions were still losses for the Nationals. During that nine-game stretch, Corbin faced the Mets twice. In the first game, he pitched four innings and gave up two runs. The second game was Corbin’s only start this year where he did not give up any runs, although he only went five innings.

Corbin got his first win of the year in his last outing against the Rockies. He tossed 6 1/3 innings, gave up 3 runs, and the Nationals ended up winning 7-3. Alonso and J.D. Davis are the Mets’ players with the best numbers against Corbin. Davis was in the lineup the first two times Corbin started against the Mets this year, and chances are he’ll be in there a third time.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (5-1, 3.98 ERA) vs. TBD

Carrasco was decent in his last outing against the Phillies. He ran into some bad luck in the sixth inning, and a bunch of soft contact plus a 3-run homer given up by Chasen Shreve resulted in Carrasco giving up five runs in 5 2/3 innings. Still, Carrasco has been solid for the Mets this year. He has faced Washington twice already, once in April and once in May. In his first outing, he gave up one run in 5 2/3 innings. In his second outing, he gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Prediction

The Mets should sweep the Nationals this time around after failing to do so the last two times these teams met. Even without knowing the National’s starter for the third game, I’m confident the Mets have the pitching advantage in all three games. There’s no reason the Mets offense can’t do to the Nationals what it just did to the Phillies.