Washington @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 19, 2013 ) Washington 1, NY Mets 7

The New York Mets play the second of a nine-game homestand, hosting the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon. The Mets received an outstanding pitching performance from right-hander Matt Harvey in Friday’s opener of the three-game series. He allowed one run in seven innings of the 7-1 win against the Nationals and ace Stephen Strasburg, becoming the first four-game winner in the major leagues.

Daniel Murphy (.351) and David Wright (.321) lead the New York offense through the first 15 games. John Buck is putting up solid power numbers this spring, lifting six home runs for the Mets, and Lucas Duda hit a pair of round-trippers in Friday’s win to give him five. Ike Davis also showed signs of heating up by hitting two home runs of his own. Duda hit one in the sixth inning that traveled 438 feet and Davis belted one that flew 427 feet in the same inning - the two farthest home runs allowed by Strasburg in his career. Bryce Harper is hitting for both average and power for the Nationals, batting .339 with five home runs

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jeremy Hefner (0-2, 7.20)

Gonzalez had two bad innings in his first three starts but those were enough to escalate his ERA. He threw six shutout innings in his season debut against the Miami Marlins and allowed one earned run in five innings in his next start against the Chicago White Sox. He was dinged for three runs in the first inning and four more in the third of Sunday’s 9-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Gonzalez won his last three starts against the Mets last season, allowing two earned runs in 18 2/3 innings.

Hefner missed his last start because of weather postponements, so the Mets gave him a turn in the bullpen Thursday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies. That outing went poorly for the second-year righty, who gave up two solo home runs in one inning in the 11-3 loss. After a solid season debut against the Marlins, he gave up five runs in the first inning of his next start against the Philadelphia Phillies and was eventually pulled after three innings in the 7-3 loss. He’s 0-3 in his career against the Nationals, allowing five home runs in 17 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Nationals 2B Danny Espinosa is expected to return after sitting out the last four games with a bruised right forearm as a result of getting hit by a pitch Sunday. Espinosa is 4-for-8 in his career against Hefner with a double and two home runs

2. Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman missed Friday’s game with a tight hamstring. A bigger concern is Zimmerman’s four throwing errors.

3. Harvey is 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA, while the rest of the Mets starters are a combined 2-6 with a 5.68 ERA

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Mets 2