Nationals at Mets
New York Mets fans might be lamenting – once again – that their team let Daniel Murphy walk away if they weren’t focused on the club's mounting injuries. The depleted Mets hope to bounce back from a tough 24 hours when they host Murphy and the Washington Nationals for the second contest of their four-game series on Friday.
Murphy is batting .394 with seven doubles and eight homers in 26 games against the Mets over the last two seasons, including a 3-for-5 performance with a triple and two RBIs in Thursday’s 8-3 win. His continued torturing of his former team took a back seat to New York’s mounting injury woes, though, as center fielder Juan Lagares broke his thumb in the opener just hours after the club announced negative injury news regarding second baseman Neil Walker and pitchers Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard. Walker (hamstring) and Harvey (stress injury to scapula) are headed for lengthy stints on the disabled list, joining infielder Asdrubal Cabrera (thumb), relievers Josh Smoker (shoulder/elbow) and Jeurys Familia (shoulder) and starter Syndergaard, who still is a month away from beginning a throwing program. The news damages any semblance of hope the Mets had of catching the Nationals, who lead the National League East by 9 1/2 games despite losing five of six entering the series.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, MASN (Washington), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (7-4, 2.36 ERA) vs. Mets LH Steven Matz (1-0, 1.29)
Scherzer’s stuff has been electric of late, as he has reached double digits in strikeouts in four straight outings. The 32-year-old ace is 3-1 with a 1.13 ERA over that stretch with 48 strikeouts and five walks in 32 innings. Scherzer is 6-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts) against the Mets, including a pair of outings this year that he has split.
Matz was outstanding in his season debut Saturday at Atlanta, limiting the Braves to one run and five hits over seven innings to earn the win. The 26-year-old only recorded two strikeouts but showed no signs of the left elbow injury that sidelined him at the end of spring training. Matz is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in two career starts against the Nationals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals RF Bryce Harper is 10-for-33 with two home runs during his eight-game hitting streak.
2. Mets OF Michael Conforto is 6-for-15 with three homers against Scherzer.
3. Washington is the only team in the NL - and one of three in the majors - that has not been shut out this season.