The New York Mets (69-67) let a golden opportunity slip away last night. With two on and no one out in the eighth inning and down a run, the Mets played it safe to ensure they got the game tied. The conservative call came back to bite them when the Mets couldn’t tack on any additional runs, allowing the Philadelphia Phillies to score three runs in the bottom of the frame and hang on for a 5-2 win. The Mets can’t afford to give away any games at this point in the season, and their task will get more difficult as they continue their road trip with a three game set against the Wild Card leading Washington Nationals (77-58). First pitch for the opener, a Labor Day matinee, is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at Nationals Park.
The Mets will send right hander Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 4.14 ERA) to the mound today. Syndergaard suffered the worst start of his career last Wednesday, giving up 10 runs in three innings to lose to the Chicago Cubs. The Nationals will counter with righty Joe Ross (3-3, 5.36 ERA). Ross didn’t get far in his last outing, giving up two runs in 4.1 innings against the Cubs on August 24, but the Nationals ended up winning anyway.
Local Coverage:
Television: SNY
Radio: WCBS
New York Mets Lineup:
Labor Day ⚾️ in D.C. #LGM
🏟️ 👉 Washington, D.C.
⌚️ 👉 1:05 p.m.
💪 👉 @Noahsyndergaard
👀 👉 @SNYtv
👂 👉 @wcbs880, @ESPNDep1050AM
💻 👉 https://t.co/DqL5dTQ5Qk pic.twitter.com/8kVxDDAzL5— New York Mets (@Mets) September 2, 2019
Pre-Game Notes:
- The Mets are 10-6 against the Nationals so far this season and won two out of three against them when the teams last met at Citi Field in the second week of August.
- The Mets are 3-3 at Nationals Park this season and dropped two out of three in Washington during their last visit back in May.
- Syndergaard is 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against the Nationals this season.
- Ross has a 10.80 ERA in four relief appearances against the Mets in 2019.
- After a day off yesterday, J.D. Davis is back in the Mets’ lineup. Davis will bat cleanup and start in left field.
- Brandon Nimmo will make his first start since May for the Mets today, batting fifth and playing center field.
- Todd Frazier and Wilson Ramos will get the day game off after last night’s contest in Philadelphia. Jeff McNeil will shift into third base and bat leadoff while Rene Rivera catches and bats eighth.
- Asdrubal Cabrera (5 for 10, 2. 2B, RBI), Anthony Rendon (12 for 37, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI), Victor Robles (4 for 10, 3 HR, 4 RBI) and Juan Soto (5 for 15, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) have hit well against Syndergaard this season.
- Michael Conforto (5 for 10, 2B, HR, 6 RBI), Nimmo (5 for 7) and Rivera (2 for 4, 2 HR, 2 RBI) have hit well against Ross in their careers.
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