Mets at Nationals
The Washington Nationals spent a lot of money in the offseason to upgrade what was already a strength of their team – the starting rotation. The Nationals will give their $210 million addition an Opening Day start when they send Max Scherzer to the mound against the visiting New York Mets on Monday.
The Nationals are the odds-on favorite to win the National League thanks to a rotation that now includes Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister. That rotation is backed up by an offense with power from top to bottom, though third baseman Anthony Rendon is not expected to be with the team to start the season due to a knee injury. The Mets made some waves when they announced that veteran Bartolo Colon would get the Opening Day start over Matt Harvey and the rest of New York’s young, promising rotation. Harvey’s return from Tommy John surgery has the Mets thinking a run at a postseason spot is possible in 2015.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, SNY (New York), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Bartolo Colon (2014: 15-13, 4.09 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (2014: 18-5, 3.15)
Colon went over 200 innings in 2014 for the first time since his Cy Young season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2005, providing some stability for the young New York staff. The hefty veteran will turn 42 in May but has made at least 30 starts in each of the last two seasons. Colon did not have much success against the Nationals in 2014, posting a 1-4 record with a 4.50 ERA in five starts.
Scherzer bet on himself when he turned down a big-money extension from the Detroit Tigers last spring, and the move paid off when he landed with the Nationals. The 30-year-old began his career in the National League with the Arizona Diamondbacks and had little trouble with NL hitters while posting a 2-1 record with a 2.33 ERA in four interleague starts last season. Scherzer notched a career-high 252 strikeouts in 2014 – his third straight season with 231 or more.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Nationals took 15 of the 19 meetings last season and own a 41-15 record against the division rivals over the last three campaigns.
2. New York 2B Daniel Murphy (hamstring) did not join the team on a trip to Texas over the weekend but could still play Monday if he makes it through some games in minor league camp.
3. Washington RF Jayson Werth (shoulder) is unlikely to play on Opening Day.