The Mets look to shake off a tough weekend in Philadelphia with a three game set against the Nationals. The Mets dropped back-to-back games where they had the lead. Francisco Lindor started the game on Sunday for the Mets but left after an inning due to a flare up in his back. Things felt pretty dark for the Mets play-off chances most of the day until the 9th inning in Atlanta where the Dodgers mounted a massive comeback. The Mets and Braves are still tied for the last spot, all the Mets need to do is win.
Sean Manaea has pitched 164 innings this season with a 3.35 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.098 WHIP and a 117 ERA+. Since July 30th he has a 2.64 ERA, 3.04 FIP over 58 innings of work while striking out 70 batters. This includes a bounce back start for Manaea in his last start where he allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings. In his only start against the Nationals this season he allowed two runs, one earned over seven innings. The Nationals have the following career numbers against him:
- CJ Abrams 3-10, 3 K
- Joey Gallo 4-20, 2 HR, BB, 9 K
- Luis Garcia Jr. 2-5, 2 K
- Keibert Ruiz 3-6
- Ildermaro Vargas 1-9, 3B, K
- James Wood 0-3
- Jacob Young 1-2, 2B, BB
Jake Irvin is wrapping up his second major league season, and it’s been a solid one for the 27 year-old. Over 172 innings eh has a 4.19 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.186 WHIP and a 96 ERA+. He’s coming off of a strong start against the Braves where he held them to one run from two hits over six innings. In his two starts before that he allowed 13 runs over 9 2/3 innings. Things have been rougher for Irvin since the start of August generally – he’s allowed nine homers over 43 2/3 innings with a 6.39 ERA, 5.33 FIP.
Irvin had two very different starts against the Mets at the start of July. In his first start, he held the Mets scoreless over eight innings. In his second start five days later, he allowed six runs over six innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:
- Pete Alonso 0-8, 3 K
- Francisco Alvarez 1-8, 4 K
- Harrison Bader 3-3
- Francisco Lindor 5-10, 2B, HR, 2 K
- Starling Marte 1-2, K
- J.D. Martinez 2-6, BB, 2 K
- Brandon Nimmo 2-10, HR
- Tyrone Taylor 0-3, 2 K
- Mark Vientos 0-6, K
Three Things To Watch For:
- José Iglesias. The Mets need hitters to step up right now and Iglesias has been doing that over the last week. He has an nine game hitting streak right now where he has gone 12-for-32 with two doubles, six runs scored. He’s slashing .393/.452/.464 over the first eight games of the streak. This current streak has pushed his OPS, which dipped to .795 back above .800.
- Mark Vientos. Coming into the weekend in Philadelphia, Vientos was mired in a slump, going 0-for-16 over five games with eight strikeouts. He collected three hits over the first two games of the series but had a tough day on Sunday, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. The Mets need Vientos this week, especially while Lindor is hurt.
- Prospects starting their division rivalry together. The last time the Mets played the Nationals, the Nationals called up their top prospect James Wood. Luisangel Acuña made his major league debut a couple of days ago. Both players will become very familiar with the fan bases of their opponents over the next several years.
Let’s Go Mets!
