Nationals-Mets Preview
(AP) -- Superb pitching has been the New York Mets' calling card but clutch hitting has them on the verge of gaining a share of the NL East lead.
Noah Syndergaard looks to continue his home dominance and help the Mets sweep a three-game set with the Washington Nationals on Sunday night.
New York (54-50) has one of the best staffs in baseball with a 3.25 ERA, making up for the offense's .234 average that is lowest in the majors.
The bats, however, have been vital to the Mets climbing to within one game of first-place Washington (54-48). Wilmer Flores' walkoff homer delivered Friday's 2-1 win, and Lucas Duda hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth of a 3-2 victory the next day.
The Mets haven't been in first since June 19, and they haven't swept a three-game series from the Nationals since May 25-27, 2009.
They have a good chance of changing both behind Syndergaard (5-5, 2.70 ERA).
The rookie right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.29 ERA over the past six starts. He's been even better at Citi Field, going 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA and 11.40 strikeouts per nine innings over his past four games. He's the first Met to go eight innings in three straight home games since Al Leiter in 2001.
"I don't think any of us could have predicted the rise to where he's at this fast," manager Terry Collins told MLB's official website.
Syndergaard carried a perfect game into the seventh Tuesday before leaving with nine strikeouts after the eighth of a 4-0 win over San Diego.
"I've learned so much. I've gained so much confidence," said Syndergaard.
He allowed one run with a season-high five walks in five innings and didn't get a decision in a 4-3 loss at Washington on July 22.
New York has won eight of its last 12 home games with Duda batting .325 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs. The first baseman hit a pair of solo shots Saturday to give him eight home runs in his last seven games.
Yoenis Cespedes batted in front of Duda during his Mets debut Saturday, a day after being acquired from Detroit. Cespedes, the big bat the Mets have craved this year, went 0 for 3 and drew an intentional walk that set up Duda's heroics.
"That's exactly what we're hoping to do, put some guys in the middle of that lineup, where you have bats throughout that can produce some runs," Collins said. "You kind of like the way we're headed."
The Nationals will try to end a 10-game road trip with a fourth victory. They turn to Jordan Zimmermann (8-6, 3.36), who is 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his last seven starts against the Mets - all ending in Washington wins.
He's won three straight visits to Queens with a 1.50 ERA, tossing 13 consecutive innings without yielding an earned run.
The right-hander allowed three runs in seven innings opposite Syndergaard on July 22. While he didn't figure in the decision, he extended his unbeaten streak to six starts with a 3-0 record and 2.33 ERA.
It ended six days later, however, when Zimmermann gave up three runs in six innings of a 4-1 loss at Miami.
He'll face Cespedes for the first time and he's limited Duda to 7 for 35 (.200) - 1 for 6 this year.
Bryce Harper is looking to build on his two hits from Saturday after going 3 for 20 in his first five games in New York this season. He is 2 for 3 off Syndergaard.
------------------------------
The Nationals are 6-4 against the Mets this season, even though the runs (29-28 Nationals) and hits (73-72 Mets) in the season series have been nearly identical. The difference has been Washington's 4-0 record in one-run games.
Washington is 27-17 (.614) against the NL East this season. The Nationals have not won 60 percent of their divisional games since the 1994 Expos went 21-13 (.618). The Mets are 24-17 (.585) against the NL East, their best divisional record since 2006 (45-29, .608), which was the last time they made the postseason.
The Mets lost to San Diego in a wild game Thursday afternoon. New York led 7-1 in the seventh inning and 7-5 with the bases empty and two outs in the ninth inning, but rain delayed the conclusion of the game. After the delay, Jeurys Familia allowed two singles and a three-run home run by Justin Upton to surrender the lead. Following yet another rain delay, the Mets went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, clinching their first home loss after leading by six or more runs since August 26, 1970 against the Braves.
Matt Harvey is 3-2 with a 1.34 ERA (7 ER/47.0 IP) in seven career starts against the Nationals. Harvey's ERA is the lowest by any active starter against any current NL team (minimum 45 IP).
Gio Gonzalez started the season 4-4 with a 4.82 ERA (40 ER/74.2 IP) in his first 13 starts. Over his last five starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA (5 ER/31.0 IP). However, he has allowed a .301 batting average on the road this season, the highest mark of his career.
Juan Lagares has had success against Gonzalez in the past, going 10-for-22 (.455) against him with three doubles, a triple and a home run. On the other hand, Bryce Harper is 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts against Harvey in his career, his most at-bats without a hit against any pitcher.
(AP) -- Superb pitching has been the New York Mets' calling card but clutch hitting has them on the verge of gaining a share of the NL East lead.
Noah Syndergaard looks to continue his home dominance and help the Mets sweep a three-game set with the Washington Nationals on Sunday night.
New York (54-50) has one of the best staffs in baseball with a 3.25 ERA, making up for the offense's .234 average that is lowest in the majors.
The bats, however, have been vital to the Mets climbing to within one game of first-place Washington (54-48). Wilmer Flores' walkoff homer delivered Friday's 2-1 win, and Lucas Duda hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth of a 3-2 victory the next day.
The Mets haven't been in first since June 19, and they haven't swept a three-game series from the Nationals since May 25-27, 2009.
They have a good chance of changing both behind Syndergaard (5-5, 2.70 ERA).
The rookie right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.29 ERA over the past six starts. He's been even better at Citi Field, going 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA and 11.40 strikeouts per nine innings over his past four games. He's the first Met to go eight innings in three straight home games since Al Leiter in 2001.
"I don't think any of us could have predicted the rise to where he's at this fast," manager Terry Collins told MLB's official website.
Syndergaard carried a perfect game into the seventh Tuesday before leaving with nine strikeouts after the eighth of a 4-0 win over San Diego.
"I've learned so much. I've gained so much confidence," said Syndergaard.
He allowed one run with a season-high five walks in five innings and didn't get a decision in a 4-3 loss at Washington on July 22.
New York has won eight of its last 12 home games with Duda batting .325 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs. The first baseman hit a pair of solo shots Saturday to give him eight home runs in his last seven games.
Yoenis Cespedes batted in front of Duda during his Mets debut Saturday, a day after being acquired from Detroit. Cespedes, the big bat the Mets have craved this year, went 0 for 3 and drew an intentional walk that set up Duda's heroics.
"That's exactly what we're hoping to do, put some guys in the middle of that lineup, where you have bats throughout that can produce some runs," Collins said. "You kind of like the way we're headed."
The Nationals will try to end a 10-game road trip with a fourth victory. They turn to Jordan Zimmermann (8-6, 3.36), who is 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his last seven starts against the Mets - all ending in Washington wins.
He's won three straight visits to Queens with a 1.50 ERA, tossing 13 consecutive innings without yielding an earned run.
The right-hander allowed three runs in seven innings opposite Syndergaard on July 22. While he didn't figure in the decision, he extended his unbeaten streak to six starts with a 3-0 record and 2.33 ERA.
It ended six days later, however, when Zimmermann gave up three runs in six innings of a 4-1 loss at Miami.
He'll face Cespedes for the first time and he's limited Duda to 7 for 35 (.200) - 1 for 6 this year.
Bryce Harper is looking to build on his two hits from Saturday after going 3 for 20 in his first five games in New York this season. He is 2 for 3 off Syndergaard.
------------------------------
The Nationals are 6-4 against the Mets this season, even though the runs (29-28 Nationals) and hits (73-72 Mets) in the season series have been nearly identical. The difference has been Washington's 4-0 record in one-run games.
Washington is 27-17 (.614) against the NL East this season. The Nationals have not won 60 percent of their divisional games since the 1994 Expos went 21-13 (.618). The Mets are 24-17 (.585) against the NL East, their best divisional record since 2006 (45-29, .608), which was the last time they made the postseason.
The Mets lost to San Diego in a wild game Thursday afternoon. New York led 7-1 in the seventh inning and 7-5 with the bases empty and two outs in the ninth inning, but rain delayed the conclusion of the game. After the delay, Jeurys Familia allowed two singles and a three-run home run by Justin Upton to surrender the lead. Following yet another rain delay, the Mets went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, clinching their first home loss after leading by six or more runs since August 26, 1970 against the Braves.
Matt Harvey is 3-2 with a 1.34 ERA (7 ER/47.0 IP) in seven career starts against the Nationals. Harvey's ERA is the lowest by any active starter against any current NL team (minimum 45 IP).
Gio Gonzalez started the season 4-4 with a 4.82 ERA (40 ER/74.2 IP) in his first 13 starts. Over his last five starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA (5 ER/31.0 IP). However, he has allowed a .301 batting average on the road this season, the highest mark of his career.
Juan Lagares has had success against Gonzalez in the past, going 10-for-22 (.455) against him with three doubles, a triple and a home run. On the other hand, Bryce Harper is 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts against Harvey in his career, his most at-bats without a hit against any pitcher.
