Perhaps the biggest series of the season to date begins tonight for the New York Mets as they visit our nation’s capital to take on the NL Eastern Division Leading Washington Nationals in a three-game set. First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the game can be seen on SNY or heard, as always, on WFAN 660AM.
Following a three-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, the Mets sit six games out of first place and three games out of a Wild Card spot entering this three-game set. They send Jon Niese to the hill for the opener looking to stop that slide. Niese will be opposed by lefty Ross Detwiler.
The Mets made a roster move prior to tonight’s game, activating Jason Bay from the 7-day concussion DL. To make room for Bay, infielder Omar Quintanilla, who had impressed when forced into action when Ruben Tejada and Ronny Cedeno went down, has been designated for assignment. Quintanilla hasn’t appeared in a game since July 1st, when he struck out as a pinch hitter. Bay returns after missing more than a month with a concussion. Bay returns to bat fifth tonight.
Mets Lineup:
Tejada – Cedeno – Wright – Hairston – Bay – Davis – Torres – Nickeas – Niese
Small Sample Stache: It may feel like more, but Bay has played in just 22 games for the Mets this season. In those 22 games he has a pedestrian .187..253/.373 triple slash with 14 hits, six RBI and 23 strikeouts. WELCOME BACK!
Nationals Lineup:
Lombardozzi – Harper – Zimmerman – Morse – LaRoche – Moore – Espinosa – Flores – Detwiler
Small Sample Stache: In three games against the Mets this season, Bryce Harper is just 3-for-16 (.188) with a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base.
Pitching Matchup:
NYM: Jon Niese (7-4, 3.73 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 91 K) – Niese enters tonight’s start coming off one of his most uneven outings of the season (7 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 3 K vs. Chicago on July 8), but he’s had nine days to get himself right and the Mets need him right in order to stop their skid.
The good news is Niese has been great at going deep into games. He’s pitched into the seventh inning in each of his last six starts, and he’s gotten through the seventh five of those six times. Niese has not started against the Nationals this year, but does hold a 2-0 record with a 3.42 ERA in four starts against them in his career. However, the middle of tonight’s Nats lineup in particular has had Niese’s number. Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche are a combined 10-of-26 lifetime off Niese with two homers, four doubles and eight RBI.
WSH: Ross Detwiler (4-3, 3.43 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 55K) – Detwiler began the year as Washington’s fifth starter and returned to that role about a month ago, replacing ineffective Chien-Ming Wang in the rotation. Prior to that, Detwiler had been Washington’s long man. Since his return to the rotation, Detwiler has made three starts, allowing seven runs on 20 hits with five walks and nine strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
The Mets have seen him Detwiler in both roles this season. On April 10 in New York Detwiler started and went five innings, allowing no runs on two hits in a 6-2 Nats win at Citi Field. On June 5th in D.C. Detwiler came on in extra innings and limited the Mets to one run over the final two innings in a game Washington eventually win 7-6 thanks to a plethora of fielding miscues by the Mets. The only Met with any measure of success against Detwiler is David Wright, who is 4-for-9 lifetime off the lefty with a homer, two doubles and four runs driven in.
Stache Keys to the Game:
- Hit the Lefty – With Jason Bay’s return the Mets send out a lineup featuring seven righties against Detwiler. Noticable by their absence are Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy, three player who struggle against lefties. Terry Collins is counting on his righty heavy lineup to beat up on Detwiler, against whom righties are hitting .291 and lefties just .122.
- Grading on a Curve – Niese needs to be in command tonight against one of the toughest lineups he’ll face all year. Mistakes like he made in his last start against Chicago, both early and late, could make it a long night in Metsville.
- Save Us From Ourselves – The one other thing the Mets need out of Niese is innings, the much maligned New York bullpen is on the cusp of receiving a traded deadline infusion, but the current group needs to find some way to patch it together until help arrives.
This Date in Mets History:
Lee Mazzilli made his only All-Star Game on this date in 1979 and produced the tying and winning runs in a 7-6 National League win at the Kingdome.
Mazz made his first appearance of the game leading off the eighth as a pinch hitter for Gary Matthews and launched a Jim Kern offering to left for a game-tying home run. After Kern walked the bases loaded in the ninth, Mazz came to the plate against Ron Guidry and drew a walk to send home the winning run.
