Nationals at Mets
The Washington Nationals continue to make themselves feel at home at Citi Field and can send the host New York Mets to a third straight series loss on Sunday, when the National League East rivals wrap up their four-game set. The Nationals handed the Mets their first shutout defeat of the season with a 1-0 victory on Saturday to improve to 16-2 in their last 18 games in New York.
Ian Desmond scored the lone run in Saturday's triumph after breaking an 0-for-29 slump and was among three players with two hits for Washington. The Mets, meanwhile, have dropped six of their last nine since ripping off a franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak. Ace Matt Harvey was responsible for two of the three victories in that span while the third win resulted from a strong outing by Dillon Gee, who will make the start in the series finale. Gee will oppose Doug Fister, who has won all four of his career starts against New York.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Doug Fister (1-1, 3.28 ERA) vs. Mets RH Dillon Gee (0-1, 4.26)
Fister is coming off his second straight sub-par outing, giving up five runs (four earned) on a season-high 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings in a loss at Atlanta. Fister has excelled at keeping the ball in the park for most of his career but has been victimized by three homers in his last two outings. He yielded two earned runs in winning all three starts against the Mets last season, including both turns at Citi Field.
Gee was knocked around for nine runs over 10 2/3 innings in his first two starts of the season but has rebounded with a pair of strong efforts. He limited Miami to one run over 7 2/3 frames last time out after going seven innings and permitting two runs versus Atlanta in his previous turn. Bryce Harper is 7-for-19 with two homers off Gee, who is 8-4 with a 3.69 ERA in 16 career starts against the Nationals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Harper drew his major league-leading 24th walk to extend his on-base streak to a career-best 18 games.
2. Gee has served up 16 homers in 100 innings versus Washington.
3. Nationals CF Denard Span, who exited the series opener due to abdominal soreness, is expected to return to the lineup Sunday.