Washington @ New York preview
Citi Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 7, 2014 ) NY Mets 3, Washington 5
Although the Washington Nationals haven’t enjoyed an overwhelming amount of success against the National League East as a whole, they have done a number on the New York Mets. The Nationals, who hold a four-game lead in the East entering the first of three games in New York on Tuesday, are a combined 18-19 versus division rivals Atlanta, Miami and Philadelphia. However, Washington has won each of its three series against the Mets in 2014 while prevailing in seven of the nine meetings overall.
The Nationals took two of three at home from New York last week, but dropped two of three in Atlanta over the weekend to fall to 29-29 on the road – the only division leader in the majors with a non-winning record away from home. The Mets rebounded from their series loss in the nation’s capital by stealing three of four in Philadelphia following Monday’s 5-3 victory. Daniel Murphy, who leads the NL with 147 hits and posted his 43rd multi-hit game of the year in Monday’s win, is 13-for-29 versus Washington this season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Doug Fister (11-3, 2.49 ERA) vs. Mets RH Rafael Montero (0-2, 5.40)
Fister bounced back from a hard-luck loss to the Phillies on Aug. 1 by holding the Mets to one unearned run on six singles while striking out seven over 7 1/3 innings in Wednesday’s 7-1 victory. The former seventh-round pick of the Seattle Mariners has been red-hot over his last eight outings, going 6-1 with a 1.96 ERA. Fister defeated New York in his only other career start as a member of the Detroit Tigers last season, yielding a run on eight hits in 6 1/3 frames.
With Jacob deGrom getting placed on the disabled list due to rotator cuff tendinitis, the Mets will recall Montero from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill in. The 23-year-old Dominican did not factor into the decision in his last turn for New York on May 30, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings. Montero, who is 6-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 15 turns with the 51s, will make his fifth career big-league start and face the Nationals for the first time.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Nationals have won eight consecutive road games in this series, outscoring the Mets 60-17.
2. Washington CF Denard Span is batting .431 during a 14-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 36 straight games, one shy of the longest such run in the majors this season (Toronto’s Jose Bautista).
3. Nationals RF Jayson Werth (shoulder), who started on Sunday after being left out of the lineup in the previous two games, is 14-for-36 in nine games against New York this year.
PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Mets 1