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Mets look to retake first place from Nationals
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 5/18/2016  at  11:36:00 AM
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By Brad Kallet

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (23-16)

at NEW YORK METS (22-16)

First pitch: Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Washington -106, New York -104, Line: 7.0

After winning the series opener, the Mets look to retake first place in the National League East when they host the rival Nationals at Citi Field.

RHP Noah Syndergaard outdueled RHP Max Scherzer on Tuesday night at Citi Field to give the Mets (22-16) the series opener over the Nationals (23-16). New York, now a half-game behind first-place Washington in the National League East, won 2-0 behind homers from RF Curtis Granderson (.211, 7 HR, 12 RBI, .304 OBP) and LF Michael Conforto (.283, 6 HR, 21 RBI, .357 OBP). The Nationals will try to even up the series on Wednesday night behind LHP Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 1.93 ERA, 35 SO, 12 BB, 2 HR in 42 IP). He’ll be opposed by 42-year-old RHP Bartolo Colon (3-2, 3.53 ERA, 36 SO, 4 BB, 6 HR in 43 1/3 IP). 1B Lucas Duda (.236, 7 HR, 19 RBI, .299 OBP) is expected to miss his second straight game with a stiff back, and it’s unclear if 3B David Wright (.229, 4 HR, 8 RBI, .373 OBP) will return to the lineup after being scratched by manager Terry Collins on Tuesday. The Nationals have gone 23-16 against the Mets since 2014, including a 14-7 mark at Citi Field. The Mets are 10-6 at home this season, while the Nats have posted an 11-9 road mark.

In his first game against his former team, 2B Daniel Murphy (.399, 5 HR, 23 RBI, .431 OBP), the National League’s leading hitter, went 1-for-3 with a bloop single. Mets pitching also kept RF Bryce Harper (.256, 11 HR, 29 RBI, .444 OBP)—arguably the best player in baseball—in check, as the reigning NL MVP went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. Aside from Murphy and Harper, manager Dusty Baker hasn’t gotten nearly enough production from the top half of his lineup. CF Ben Revere (.106, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .157 OBP), LF Jayson Werth (.210, 6 HR, 20 RBI, .265 OBP), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.237, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .297 OBP) and 3B Anthony Rendon (.229, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .314 OBP) have all been dreadful at the plate. Revere has hit Colon well in his career, going 8-for-21 with a double. Rendon (4-for-13) has homered off the veteran, as has Harper (3-for-13). C Wilson Ramos (.340, 4 HR, 14 RBI, .376 OBP) is 2-for-14 with a double against Colon. In 17 career starts against the Mets, Gonzalez is 9-4 with a 2.66 ERA.

The Mets’ offense has been all or nothing in 2016. New York leads the National League in homers (55) but is tied for 11th in average (.238), 10th in OBP (.317) and fourth in strikeouts (328). The Mets are hitting just .208 with runners in scoring position (last in NL) and .233 against lefties (12th in NL). Lefties are hitting just .194 with no homers against Gonzalez this season, so the Mets might have a difficult time putting runs on the board. CF Yoenis Cespedes (.282, 12 HR, 32 RBI, .364 OBP) and Conforto are the club’s most dangerous hitters, and 2B Neil Walker (.260, 10 HR, 20 RBI, .307 OBP)—Murphy’s replacement—has gotten off to a strong start, though he’s cooled considerably in recent weeks. The Mets have seen a ton of Gonzalez, who’s pitched for the Nats since 2012. Wright has gone 6-for-21 with a homer, a double, a triple, four RBIs and six walks against the 30-year-old, though Granderson (4-for-30 with 1 HR, 1 2B, 10 SO) has struggled against him. Backup OF Juan Lagares, a right-handed hitter, might get the start on Wednesday. He’s 10-for-26 lifetime against the two-time All-Star with a homer, three doubles, a triple and four RBIs. In eight career starts against Washington, Colon is 3-5 with a 3.23 ERA.


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