For the first time in team history the Mets have won their first 5 series to open up the year and they start another big one tonight as the Nationals come to town. Yesterday the Mets won behind a strong, albeit short, start from Syndergaard and a walk-off homer from Flores. The Mets swept the Nationals earlier in the season at home, so we can assume they are going to come in angry and ready to play.
The Mets will counter the energy that the Nationals come with by a start from Jacob deGrom who is 2-0 over 3 starts and 17.2 innings where he has allowed 7 runs, 6 earned, over 17.2 innings with 18 K’s. Over his first three starts he has a 3.06 ERA, 2.78 FIP, 1.132 WHIP and 125 ERA+. His second start of the season was against the Nationals where he held them to 2 runs, 1 earned, over 4 hits and 3 walks in 6.0 innings of work. The Nationals have the following numbers against Jacob:
- Harper 9-26, 2 2B, HR, 6 BB, 7 K
- Rendon 2-21, 2B, 5 BB, 6 K
- Kendrick 2-23, 3 K
- Taylor 1-21, BB, 11 K
- Zimmerman 5-19, 2 HR
- Turner 5-18, 2B, HR, BB, ( K
- Eaton 4-10, 2 2B
The Mets bats will see Jeremy Hellickson make his first start of the season. The long time Tampa Bay Ray found his way to Arizona in 2015, Philly in 2016 and last year he split time between Philly and Baltimore. In a quest to wear the uniform of all major mid-Atlantic cities, he now finds himself in DC. Last year he was 8-11 over 30 starts and 164.0 innings where he posted a 5.43 ERA, 5.77 FIP, 1.262 WHIP and 78 ERA+. He faced the Mets once last year where he allowed 4 runs off 7 hits and 2 walks in 6.1 innings while striking out 4. The Mets have the following numbers against Hellickson:
- Reyes 12-33, 3 2B, HR, BB
- Gonzalez 5-26, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 4 BB
- Cabera 9-23, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB
- Cespedes 6-19, 3 HR
- Bruce 1-14
- Lobaton 1-11
- Conforto 1-5, 2B
- Lagers 2-5, HR
- Nimmo 2-4, 2B (Who also had a tremendous day at the plate yesterday)
- Flores 1-3, 2B
Let’s Go Mets!
