Mets at Nationals
Washington's vaunted starting rotation got off to a great start Opening
Day, but the rest of the team laid an egg. The Nationals try to get into
the win column for the first time when they send Jordan Zimmermann to
the mound against the New York Mets on Wednesday in the continuation of a three-game series in the nation's capital.
A pair of errors and a meager offensive attack that produced only a solo homer by Bryce Harper led to Washington's 3-1 loss to the Mets on Monday afternoon. With three regular position players on the disabled list to start the season, Washington will need to rely heavily on its top-notch starting staff, and Zimmermann will be looking to follow up a spectacular debut for Max Scherzer, who did not allow an earned run in seven strong innings Monday. Zimmermann will be opposed by 2014 National League Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom, a big piece in a Mets rotation that also shows promise. New York was unable to get through the opener unscathed, as closer Jenrry Mejia felt tightness in his elbow warming up for the ninth and was scheduled to be examined by doctors Tuesday.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), MASN2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jacob deGrom (2014: 9-6, 2.69 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (14-5, 2.66)
After going 1-5 with a 3.77 ERA through his first 10 starts, deGrom sparkled down the stretch, posting a 1.90 ERA in his final 12 outings. He ranked sixth among National League pitchers with at least 140 innings pitched with 9.24 strikeouts per nine innings. The 26-year-old, who went 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA in a solid Grapefruit League showing, allowed three runs in six innings in his only meeting with Washington in 2014.
After leading the NL in wins (19) in 2013, Zimmermann posted a career-best 2.66 ERA last year, topping the Senior Circuit with 1.307 walks per nine innings. He was spectacular against the Mets, going 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four encounters, the last two of which saw Zimmermann toss a total of 13 innings without allowing an earned run. The two-time All-Star won his final eight decisions and the Nationals were victorious in each of his last 11 starts in 2014.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mets 2B Daniel Murphy is a career .320 hitter with three homers and five doubles against Zimmermann.
2. Including the 2014 postseason, Harper has five homers in his last 10 games.
3. New York RHP Matt Harvey will make his much-anticipated return from Tommy John surgery Thursday in the series finale opposite Washington's Stephen Strasburg.