Game Preview: Mets @ Nationals

Two different baseball clichés are converging this afternoon in DC. First, good teams beat bad teams. That’s what the Mets have done all weekend. Second, it’s difficult to sweep a four game set. That’s what the Mets are going to attempt to do this afternoon.

The Mets clinched the series win yesterday thanks to a terrific Mets debut by Chris Bassitt who shut the Nationals offense down for 6 innings and thanks to Pete Alonso‘s first career grand slam. Now the Mets will try the difficult task, even against teams like the Nationals, and complete the four game sweep.

Carlos Carrasco will make his 2022 Mets debut. Last season Carrasco was hampered by a hamstring injury and at the end of the season had surgery to remove a bone fragment in his elbow. It was just a difficult season all around. He started 12 games and tossed 53 2/3 innings with a 6.04 ERA, 5.22 FIP, 1.435 WHIP and a 67 ERA+. Homeruns crushed him last year as he gave them up at a clip of 2.0 per nine innings, 0.9 points worse than his career numbers. He made one start against the Nationals last season where he allowed four runs in one inning. However, the weather was terrible and the game was suspended and completed the next day. The Nationals have the following numbers against Carrasco:

Alcides Escobar 9-42, 2B, 6 K
Nelson Cruz 11-30, 3 2B, 4 HR, BB, 9 K
Ehire Adrianza 2-13, 4 K
Dee Strange-Gordon 2-11, BB, 2 K
Josh Bell 2-7, 2B, 3 K
Maikel Franco 2-6, 2B, K
Riley Adams 1-1
Carter Kieboom 0-1
Victor Robles 1-1
Juan Soto 1-1, HR

The Mets bats will look to keep grinding against Erick Fedde. Fedde pitched in 29 games, 27 starts, last season totaling 133 1/3 innings. He posted a 5.47 ERA, 4.66 FIP, 1.440 WHIP and a 74 ERA+. Fedde pitched a ton against the Mets last season – five times! Over those five games he pitched 24.1 innings and allowed 29 hits, 18 runs (14 earned – 5.18 ERA) and 9 walks while striking out 21 batters. The Mets have the following numbers against Fedde: