Mets at Nationals
The New York Mets will try again to snap their losing streak when they meet the Washington Nationals in the second of three straight at Nationals Park on Wednesday. The Mets lost a ninth-inning lead in the series opener, falling for the fourth straight time since a season-high five-game winning streak. Bobby Parnell had his third blown save in the process.
Adam LaRoche atoned for an earlier error with a game-tying RBI single off Parnell and Steve Lombardozzi won it with a sacrifice fly to cap the 3-2 triumph for Washington, which had lost two in a row and four of its previous five to fall below .500 for the first time since April 30.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Dillon Gee (3-6, 5.68 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Dan Haren (4-6, 5.09)
Gee entered last Thursday's start at the New York Yankees with a 6.34 ERA and surrounded by questions about his spot in the rotation, but struck out a career-high 12 in 7 1/3 sparkling frames to help the Mets complete a four-game sweep of their cross-city rivals. He is 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA against Washington and shut out the Nationals over 5 2/3 frames on April 21 at home.
Haren's up-and-down campaign continued Thursday with 7 1/3 solid innings at Baltimore in his longest start since May 2. Haren has struck out 24 and walked only three in his last four starts, but opponents are hitting .291 against him and the righty entered Tuesday ranked third in the National League with 12 home runs allowed. Haren is 24-10 with a 3.27 ERA in his career in June.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mets OF Marlon Byrd is 8-for-16 with two doubles and a triple against Haren.
2. The Nationals are 25-6 when scoring three runs or more.
3. Washington is 10-2 in one-run games against New York since the start of the 2011 season.
PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Mets 3