The Washington Nationals (43-59) will be trying to pick up their third consecutive series win when they face the New York Mets (47-54) in the second game of their four-game weekend series on Friday night.
MacKenzie Gore, 6-7, 4.37 ERA, will get the start for the Nationals. The Mets will counter with Max Scherzer, 8-4, 4.20 ERA.
New York is 6-4 in its last 10 games against Washington.
**This preview was written before Thursday’s game was played**
The Nationals played well over the past week and they’ve won five of their last six games. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Mets, which will give them their sixth win in their last seven games.
Washington is averaging 4.32 runs per game. Their.261 batting average is sixth in the league. Their .319 on base percentage is 15th, while their .403 slugging percentage is 19th.
Lane Thomas has been the big bat for the Nationals. He leads the team with a .293 batting average, 16 home runs, and 54 RBI.
Washington’s pitching hasn’t been good, with the team giving up 5.22 runs per game. Opponents have a .275 batting average against the Nationals, which is 29th in the league. Their 4.95 ERA is 27th, while their 1.49 WHIP is 28th.
In his last start, Gore gave up four hits and no runs in five innings, leading to a 6-1 win over San Francisco. They will need a similar effort from him if they want to get the win.