Yesterday was a fun baseball game. I’m not sure if highlights will capture how much fun it was. Steven Matz threw a lot of pitches early, but recovered to throw 5 scoreless. Corbin was good to this point allowing only a solo homer to JD Davis. Gsellman promptly allowed a run after Matz knotting the game up but the Mets responded with two more solo homers (JD Davis again and Conforto) off Corbin in the 6th to take back the lead and knock Corbin out.
This is where things got interesting. The Mets would then allow the game to get tied, and then allow the Nationals to take a 5-3 lead in the 8th. Pete Alonso and Robinson Cano responded with back to back homers to open up the 8th and then the Mets were able to squeak out a go-ahead run with Diaz shutting the door in the 9th.
A back and forth, fun game. Made even better with all the celebration in the Nationals dugout in the top of the 8th. Now the Mets find themselves with a rubber game on a lovely Sunday afternoon. If they win, they’ll be 4-2 against the Nationals this year. If they lose, they’ll be a .500 team with a sweep of the Marlins being the difference on season.
Zack Wheeler has made one start this year (against the Nationals) and he allowed 4 runs over 5.0 innings from 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7. He was bumped yesterday because the Mets wanted to split up Matz and Vargas in the rotation. Last year against the Nationals he made three starts over 20.2 innings with a 3.05 ERA from 7 runs off 21 hits and 8 walks. The Nationals have the following numbers against Zack:
- Anthony Rendon 10-28, 5 BB, 4 K
- Ryan Zimmerman 8-25, 2 HR, 2 BB, 5 K
- Adam Eaton 8-13, 2B
- Juan Soto 2-9, BB, 3 K
- Wilmer Difo 1-7, K
- Brian Dozier 0-5, K
- Yan Gomes 1-5
- Max Scherzer 0-3
- Victor Robles 1-2, 2B
Max Scherzer is making his third start in his team’s first 8 games of the season. The Nationals saw a schedule opportunity during the spring to do this and they went with it. For his part, Max says he can do this generally about 5 starts in a row before he needs a day to recoup. For the Nationals this means their ace goes up against the Mets twice and the Phillies once in their first 8 games giving them an advantage. He’s 0-2 this year over 12.2 innings allowing 9 hits and 4 runs, 3 earned while striking out 21 batters and posting a 2.13 ERA, 2.67 FIP, and a 1.026 WHIP. Basically the losses are not his fault. On Opening Day against the Mets he allowed 2 runs over 7.2 innings from 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 12. The Mets have the following numbers against him:
- Michael Conforto 8-26, 4 HR, 3 BB, 10 K
- Robinson Cano 4-21, 2 HR, 2 BB, 6 K
- Brandon Nimmo 2-16, HR, 3 BB, 11 K
- Juan Lagares 1-16, HR, BB, 11 K
- Wilson Ramos 2-11
- Amed Rosario 2-9, 2B, 4 K
- Dominic Smith 0-6, BB, 4 K
- Jeff McNeil 1-5, 2B, BB, 2 K
- Pete Alonso 0-3, 2K
- Keon Broxton 1-1, HR
Let’s Go Mets!
