Nationals at Mets
The New York Mets look to keep their perfect home record intact when they host the Washington Nationals in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday. New York followed a season-opening 3-3 road trip with an astounding 10-0 homestand before embarking on a six-game trek that produced disappointing results.
After dropping two of three to the crosstown Yankees, the Mets did the same in Miami to finish the trip with a 2-4 record. Washington enters the series with its offense clicking on all cylinders. The Nationals have rebounded from a six-game losing streak in impressive fashion, scoring 13 runs on back-to-back nights in victories at Atlanta. The club recorded a total of 14 runs during its skid and had reached double digits just once in its previous 20 contests.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (1-2, 4.88 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (2-2, 2.96)
Strasburg has struggled out of the gate this season, surrendering four or more runs in three of his first four starts. The 26-year-old former first overall draft pick suffered the loss at Miami on Saturday as he was reached for four runs and eight hits over six innings. Strasburg has made seven career starts against New York, going 3-2 with a 2.55 ERA.
DeGrom looks to bounce back from a rough outing against the Yankees on Friday in which he yielded six runs and eight hits over five innings en route to a loss. The 26-year-old reigning NL Rookie of the Year had given up a total of two runs in 19 1/3 frames over his first three starts of the season. DeGrom has yet to defeat Washington in his brief career, posting an 0-1 record and 3.75 ERA in two turns.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals CF Denard Span went 7-for-12 with two homers, four RBIs and six runs scored over his last two games.
2. Mets RHP Rafael Montero, who was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas after making a spot start on Tuesday, complained of a sore shoulder and was slated to undergo an MRI.
3. Washington is 2-4 on its 10-game road trip.