4/26/23 Game Preview: Washington Nationals at New York Mets

There are always going to be clunkers over the course of a 162-game season and the New York Mets (14-10) delivered one last night. The Mets looked sloppy at the plate and in the field as they lost 5-0 to the Washington Nationals (8-14) to open a seven-game home stand rather poorly. The hope for the Mets is that the poor performance was a result of being drained after returning from a 10-day West Coast road trip and that they can bounce back and even their series with Washington tonight. First pitch for the middle game of this series is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. at Citi Field.

Right-hander Kodai Senga (3-0, 4.29 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Mets tonight. Senga earned his third win of the season in his last start, allowing four runs in five innings of work to defeat the San Francisco Giants last Thursday. The Nationals will counter with young lefty MacKenzie Gore (2-1, 3.43 ERA), a key component of the return from the San Diego Padres in last summer’s Juan Soto trade. Gore delivered a quality start last Wednesday, giving up three runs in six innings against the Baltimore Orioles, but was stuck with a loss due to a lack of run support from the Nationals.

Local Coverage:

Television: SNY

Radio: WCBS

New York Mets Lineup:

Game 2 starters. #LGM

🆚 Washington
💪 @kodaisenga
📺 @SNYtv, @MLBNetwork
📻@wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/gIWiAkI8G2

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 26, 2023

Pre-Game Notes:

Neither team has faced the opposing starter before.

Mark Canha is back in the Mets’ starting lineup after getting the day off on Tuesday. He will start in left field and bat fifth.

Daniel Vogelbach and Brett Baty will sit with the lefty Gore on the mound. Tommy Pham will serve as the designated hitter and bat seventh while Eduardo Escobar mans third base and hits eighth.

Pham is the only Met with any experience against Gore, collecting two hits in five career at-bats against him.