The Washington Nationals (8-14, 13-9 RL, 9-11-2 O/U) meet with the New York Mets (14-10, 13-11 RL, 10-12-2 O/U) as the division rivals conclude a three-game series on Thursday night. The Nationals will have Trevor Williams on the hill. The Mets will reply with Joey Lucchesi. The Nationals recorded a 5-0 home win on Tuesday evening.
Trevor Williams will make his fifth start on Thursday afternoon. Williams came through with another strong outing on the weekend, limiting Minnesota to just two runs in six innings, resulting in a no-decision in a game the Nationals won. The veteran right-hander has been better than many expected, conceding two or fewer runs in three of his four outings, and has recorded a 3.38 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP to go with a 1-1 record in 21.1 innings on the season. Williams has excelled in his career against the Mets, posting a 3-1 record and a marvelous 2.32 ERA in 31 innings.
The Nationals are in rebuilding mode and there will be many losses. They have struggled most of the season but have found a bit of a groove. They were able to collect a needed series win in Minnesota this past weekend which should give the young group confidence. It was their first series w in of the season.
Every kiss begins with Keibert pic.twitter.com/q1HetFad4t
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 25, 2023
Joey Meneses was a big surprise last season when he hit 13 homers with 34 RBIs in 56 games but has not been able to find that magic this year, recording one home run, nine RBIs, and a .665 OPS. The 30-year-old hit just .182 with one RBI against the Mets last season and collected two RBIs in Monday's win.
The Nationals are scoring an average of only 3.68 runs, pegging them 26th. The pitching has been decent recently but is carrying a 4.06 team ERA, placing them 10th.