New York @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 3, 2014 ) Washington 8, NY Mets 2
The Washington Nationals overcame slow starts and made the New York Mets look foolish at the plate in each of their first three games. The Nationals, who host the Mets on Friday for the first time since Washington embarrassed New York at home in the first series of the season, trailed after the opening frame in every one of the teams’ first three meetings. The Nationals recovered each time, however, outscoring the Mets 22-4 after the first inning.
The Nationals’ pitching staff also worked over New York in early April, fanning 39 Mets to post the third-highest total strikeout total in 100 years by a team in its first three-game set of the season. New York finds itself in another offensive rut after getting blanked in consecutive home games against the Yankees in the "Subway Series." The Mets, who scored 26 runs and pounded out 40 hits (including 19 for extra bases) while winning three straight, could muster only seven hits (one for extra bases) in their final two contests against the Yankees.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jonathon Niese (2-2, 2.17 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (2-1, 3.65)
Niese recorded his sixth straight quality start, but did not factor into the decision during Sunday’s 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The 27-year-old Ohio native, who has yet to allow more than three runs in any of his seven turns after battling shoulder and elbow issues during spring training, yielded three runs on eight hits and struck out six over six frames. Niese is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three road outings this season and 3-0 with a 2.47 ERA in seven career starts against the Nationals.
Rebounding from his worst outing of the season on May 3, Roark settled for a no-decision in his second dominant start in three tries during Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics. The former 25th-round selection held Oakland to one run on two hits over 7 2/3 innings and was in line for the victory before closer Rafael Soriano blew his first save of the season. Roark has enjoyed similar success in three career appearances (two starts) against the Mets, compiling a 2-0 record and 2.93 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Roark hasn’t allowed a run at home in any of his last three home outings and has yielded only one run in 35 career innings at Nationals Park (against the Mets in relief on August 31 last season).
2. Mets RHP Jacob deGrom singled in the third inning Wednesday to end the pitching staff's major league-record 0-for-64 start to the season.
3. Relievers have accounted for 11 of Washington’s 21 victories.
PREDICTION: Nationals 2, Mets 1