Coming off of Monday’s opening day win, the Mets look to make it two in a row against the powerhouse Washington Nationals. Jacob DeGrom will go for the Mets, while Jordan Zimmerman will take the hill for the Nationals, making his first regular-season start since throwing a no-hitter last year.
Mets to Watch For: Wilmer Flores looked overmatched at the plate on opening day, and the task doesn’t get any easier with Zimmerman on the hill. He needs to be patient and work favorable counts, which is not easy to do when you have the pitcher batting behind you.
With all the injuries to the Mets bullpen, Rafael Montero needs to step up, plain and simple. With Jeurys Familia sliding into the closers role, the Mets need someone to step up, and Montero has the stuff to make that happen.
Nats to Watch For: Ian Desmond is coming off of an atrocious opening day defensively, ironically when Wilmer Flores was flawless. Look for him to play with a chip on his shoulder in this one, looking to prove a point. Matt Thornton, who played for the Yankees and Nats last season, could have a late-game showdown with Lucas Duda. He’s been solid since going to Washington, so they have every reason to trust him in a big spot.
Bottom Line: Avoid mental mistakes, and play the right way. I’m talking to you, Daniel Murphy. No silly mistakes on the base paths and we should be fine. Let’s aim to win the series. I guarantee the Mets won’t be going 162-0.
