The New York Mets (18-20, 15-23 RL, 16-20-2 O/U) collide with the Washington Nationals (16-21, 23-14 RL, 15-20-2 O/U) in the second of a three-game divisional series on Saturday afternoon. The Mets will send lefty Joey Lucchesi to the mound. The Nationals will reply with Trevor Williams. The Nationals lead the season series 2-1.
Joey Lucchesi will get the nod on Saturday. Lucchesi had trouble in his previous start, conceding three runs in four innings against the Rockies, leading to a no-decision in a game the Reds lost. The young lefty was stellar in his season debut where he tossed seven shutout innings against the Giants but has not looked good since and has a 4.43 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP to go with a 1-0 record in 20.1 innings. Lucchesi pitched against the Nats last month and conceded three runs in 5.1 innings. He has logged a 4.38 ERA in 24.2 innings against the Nationals.
The Mets continue to yield inconsistent results in an easy part of the schedule. They have dropped four of their last five series including series defeats to the Tigers, Rockies, and most recently two losses in three encounters with the Reds. They continue to stumble at the plate and are eight games out of first place.
Two out RBI hit for @You_Found_Nimmo. ?? pic.twitter.com/rTvOcg50yi
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 10, 2023
The Mets are waiting for Starling Marte to snap out of his slump at the plate. The 34-year-old is only hitting .213 with eight RBIs and a weak .563 OPS. Marte has a horrid .422 OPS in May. He only has two hits and one RBI in three games against the Nationals this season.
New York is posting an average of 4.16 runs per game, ranking them 24th. The pitching staff has accrued a 4.73 team ERA, positioning them 23rd.