Series Preview: Mets Close 2020 With Four Games In DC
The Mets (25-31) travel to Washington DC for four games with the Nationals (23-33) to close the 2020 regular season. The teams will play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 6:05 pm, and Sunday at 3:05 pm. The Mets and Nationals have split six games so far this season.
The Mets need to win every game and receive significant help to remain alive in the playoff race in the National League. The Mets are coming from a series at Citi Field with the Tampa Bay Rays, in which the Mets dropped two of three games. The Nationals’ last opponent was the Phillies in Washington. In that series, the Nationals took three of four games.
On Thursday night, the Mets will send left-hander David Peterson (5-2, 3.80 ERA) to the mound against Washington’s lefty Patrick Corbin (2-6, 4.76 ERA). In his last start on Saturday nights against the Braves, Peterson tossed a gem, going six innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out ten and walking four. Peterson has been a pleasant surprise for the Mets in his rookie season, and projects to be part of the rotation in 2021.
On Friday night, Rick Porcello (1-6, 5.46 ERA) will pitch for the Mets against righty Max Scherzer (4-4, 3.67 ERA). Porcello’s last start on Sunday against the Braves was his best one of the season. In the game, Porcello tossed seven innings, letting up one run on three hits, striking out ten and walking two. The Mets’ bullpen later imploded, as the Mets went on to lose by a 7-0 score. Scherzer is having a modest season by his standards. The three-time Cy Young award winner’s 2020 ERA is nearly half a run higher than his 3.21 career ERA.
On Saturday night, Jacob deGrom (4-2, 2.14 ERA) will face right-hander Anibal Sanchez (3-5, 6.80 ERA). DeGrom was brilliant in his last start on Monday night against the Rays. In that start, deGrom pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out fourteen and walking two. DeGrom is a candidate for his third consecutive Cy Young award, though at this point the Reds’ Trevor Bauer appears to be in the lead for the honor.
The Mets’ season will likely end on Sunday afternoon when Seth Lugo (3-3, 3.82 ERA) takes on right-hander Austin Voth (1-5, 6.25 ERA). Lugo had an excellent outing Tuesday against the Rays, tossing 6 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run and four hits, striking out seven and walking just one. Lugo will be making his seventh start since his move to the rotation in mid-August. Lugo threw 95 pitches on Tuesday night, and appears to be fully stretched out into a starting role, and that should set him up well for a potential slot in the rotation next season.
What To Watch (Statistics Through 9/22)
The Mets are basically playing for individual records at this point. Going into Wednesday’s action, the Mets had three players in the top ten among the National League batting leaders. Jeff McNeil was fifth at .329, Michael Conforto sixth at .328, and Dominic Smith tenth at .315.
Brandon Nimmo (.407- 7th) and McNeil (.401-8th) were in the NL’s top ten in OBP going into Wednesday’s game.
Smith (.986) was sixth in OPS in NL entering play on Wednesday.
Pete Alonso is down to (.209/306/.435) with 13 home runs.
As noted above, Jacob deGrom has a shot at the Cy Young award, but would need a great start on Saturday and Trevor Bauer to stumble in his last start to have a realistic chance.
For the Nationals, they have fallen on hard times after their World Series championship in 2019. Trea Turner (.339/.397/.583 with 10 home runs) is their best offensive player by fWAR at 2.5.
Juan Soto (.345/.480/..683 with 12 home runs), their dynamic young outfielder, has an fWAR of 1.9.
Scherzer (1.8) and Corbin (1.1) are their best pitchers by fWAR.
Washington’s starters have an ERA of 5.45, 27th in MLB. Their relievers’ collective ERA is 4.48, 13th in MLB.
The Nationals’ team BA is .264, sixth in MLB.
For the Mets, a shortened season of unfulfilled expectations will come to an end this weekend. While the team had significant injuries to its starting pitching staff, many expected them to qualify for the post season as one of eight National League entrants.
With new ownership on the horizon, it should be an interesting off season for the Mets. The team may look significantly different next year, from the front office to the players on the field. That entire process will get started on Monday, when another season that ends without a post season for the Mets comes to end.