This season, it seemed as though each Nationals series was more frustrating than the one that preceded it. Whenever it felt as though the Mets were gaining momentum, the Nationals rolled in and crushed it.
The frustration started early as the Mets were swept in three games by the Nationals at Citi Field to begin the season 0-3. The Mets went on to a 15-11 record by April 30. But by May 31, they were 26-29 and were now 1-5 against the Nationals on the season to that point.
Around the All-star break, the Mets were making a push to reach an even overall record. By July 31, they were 52-56. As Ron Darling has said on several occasions in the booth during broadcasts, any team that gets to September with at least a .500 record is in a playoff race.
All the Mets had to do was make up those four games and head into the late days of summer with matching wins and losses. Of course, the Nationals decided this was not to be the case, and beat the Mets in both of their August series to send the season record between the two teams to 2-10 in favor of the Nats. By August 31, the Mets were back to nine games under. September was no different and ultimately, the Nationals finished the season with 15 wins and 4 losses versus the Mets.
Some notable performers include Jayson Werth, who hit .352/.444/.407/.852, as well as Adam LaRoche, who hit a ridiculous .321/.478/.755/1.233 against Mets pitching.
The New York side is not nearly as robust. Travis d’Arnaud hit only .205/.279/.410/.689. David Wright came in at .327/.346/.408/.754. Worst of all was Lucas Duda – the Mets’ main slugger – who hit an awful .215/.278/.246/.524 against Nationals pitching.
You could point to the Nationals as the main reason the Mets finished under .500, and more importantly, why New York missed the postseason. Against all other opponents, the Mets were 75-68, which is good for a .525 winning percentage, or a record of 85- 77 over a full season. If the Mets had split the season series (plus one game since there were an odd number of games played) they would also have had finished this season with 85 wins.
While those potential 85 wins would not have won New York a playoff berth this season (the Wild Card winners had 88 wins), it would have brought them within striking distance. However, the most important thing to consider is how the Mets can improve on their poor performances against the Nationals for next season when most fans expect them to make the postseason for the first time since 2006.
