New York @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2011 ) NY Mets 7, Washington 8

THE STORY: Just when it looked like things were starting to go the right way for the New York Mets, something went terribly wrong. On the verge of a fourth straight win on Saturday after overcoming a five-run deficit, Bobby Parnell blew the save. Ryan Zimmerman played the hero for the Washington Nationals, briefly overshadowing rookie pitcher Tom Milone and his first major league home run. The Mets have made some positive steps over the past two weeks and were on the verge of pulling within a game of .500 when Parnell failed to get the final three outs. Washington has won just twice in its last 11 games and will be looking for its first series win in over two weeks when it closes out the three-game set against New York on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Livan Hernandez (8-12, 4.29 ERA) vs. Mets RH Mike Pelfrey (7-11, 4.65 ERA).

Hernandez bounced back from a pair of rough outings with a gem at Atlanta on Tuesday, yielding two runs and five hits in seven innings to earn the win. He has been tough on the Mets this season, holding them to three earned runs in 15 innings over two starts. Hernandez is 13-15 with a 4.06 ERA in 39 career starts against New York. Nationals manager Davey Johnson announced that Sunday will mark Hernandez’s final start of the season, as the team tries to take a look at a number of young pitchers. Hernandez will serve as a pinch hitter and mentor to the young pitchers but will not pitch out of the bullpen.

Pelfrey went six scoreless innings against Florida on Tuesday before falling apart and allowing four runs without recording an out in the seventh. The 27-year-old has not recorded an out in the seventh inning or later in his past six starts. Pelfrey has not faced Washington this season and owns a 4-6 mark with a 4.22 ERA in 16 career outings against the division rivals.

ABOUT THE NATIONALS (64-73): Milone provided the early highlight on Saturday when he came up to bat in the second and became the eighth pitcher in major league history to homer on the first pitch he saw. Milone surprised New York starter Dillon Gee by turning on a fastball and blasting a three-run shot into the Washington bullpen. That bullpen ended up letting go of a lead after Milone left in the fifth, but Zimmerman got it back by driving a bases-loaded single to left in the bottom of the ninth to plate a pair. The Nationals are focused on youth in the last month, with Stephen Strasburg scheduled to take Hernandez’s place in the rotation and Milone likely to get at least one or two more looks down the stretch.

ABOUT THE METS (67-70): New York is auditioning a number of players as well, including Parnell. Since taking over the closer’s role from Jason Isringhausen last month, the 26-year-old has been solid, converting his previous four chances. Saturday did not go his way, as a tight strike zone led to a key walk and a wild pitch opened the inning for the Nationals. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak and was just the second setback in the last nine contests for the Mets.

FINAL PITCH: The Mets got some good news Saturday when Johan Santana came out of a two-inning rehab stint for Class A St. Lucie with no problems. The former AL Cy Young award winner allowed one run and three hits while throwing 21 of 30 pitches for strikes. New York has not ruled out Santana pitching at least a few innings in the majors this season.