Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.38 ERA) and Matt Harvey (12-7, 2.60 ERA) take the hill in the second of a three-game series between the Washington Nationals (71-66) and the New York Mets (76-61) at Nationals Park. The Mets won the last game 8-5 and New York leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sep. 8 and can be seen on MAS2 and SNY.
Zimmermann pitched 6.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering one run, striking out five and walking four in a 15-1 win over the Braves. Ryan Zimmerman (.249, 43 Rs, 16 HRs, 73 RBIs, 1 SB) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 5 with one run. Harvey went 6.1 innings, surrendering four runs, striking out nine and walking one in a 9-4 win over the Phillies in his last outing. Yoenis Cespedes (.298, 93 Rs, 31 HRs, 92 RBIs, 7 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Mets, going 3 for 5 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
The odds for Washington and New York are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at seven runs. Within its division, Washington has a record of 33-21 SU. The Nationals have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 6.5 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.4 runs per game. Washington’s pitchers put it all together when division rivals are on the field. Its average runs allowed per game drops to 3.3 against fellow NL East members, compared to its 4.0 season average. The Nationals are the top team in the NL at limiting walks to their opponents, allowing only 2.2 walks per game so far this season.
The Mets are 37-20 against NL East opponents. Offensively, the Mets have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 4.2 runs per game by averaging 5.4 during that stretch. The Mets allow 3.7 runs per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 4.7 runs per game during that span. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Mets are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.18 for the season. The Mets have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 8.1 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Mets lead the season series, 8-6. The Nationals have a 53-50 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Harvey takes the mound. Zimmermann (RHP) will be on the hill against the Mets, who have a 58-48 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYM, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, New York is 30-22, while Washington is 34-30.
The Mets managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Nationals who are heading in with a 33-20 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Nationals are 56-8. The Mets have a 54-6 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 15th, New York sits in the top half of the league in runs, scoring 573 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 605.
Ranking 13th, New York is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 402 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 450.
The Nationals are 54-34 when they hit at least one home run. The Mets perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 51-26 record.
