Mets at Nationals
The Washington Nationals and the New York Mets could look different by the time the National League East rivals square off for the opener of a two-game series in Washington on Tuesday. Both clubs could be active in front of Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline, and some of the biggest pieces on the market reside on the teams.
The Nationals were thought to be using last weekend's series against Miami as an indicator of whether they were still in the race in the NL East and won the first two games but managed a total of one run in falling on Saturday and Sunday to enter the week one game under .500 at 52-53. "We've put ourselves in this position. They have to do what they've got to do," Washington outfielder Adam Eaton told reporters of the front office. "But the guys that are in this clubhouse every day, and whether they're here or not, we're going to all be pulling in the same direction and doing what we have to do in order to win ballgames." New York could bring back the biggest haul if it decided to make ace right-hander Jacob deGrom available, but another starting pitcher - righty Zack Wheeler - is the name getting tossed around the most as a potential trade candidate out of the Mets' rotation. New York will send lefty Steven Matz to the mound in Tuesday's opener while the Nationals counter with righty Tanner Roark.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), MASN 2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (5-8, 3.79 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (4-12, 4.55)
Matz snapped a three-start losing streak last time out while holding the Pittsburgh Pirates to four runs on three hits and a pair of walks in six innings. The 27-year-old served up a pair of home runs in that outing but struck out a season-high nine. Matz is making his fourth start against Washington this season and looking for his first win after going 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in the first three chances.
Roark snapped a string of seven consecutive outings without a win (0-6) when he breezed through eight scoreless innings at Milwaukee on Wednesday. The Illinois native, who had allowed at least four runs in five of his previous six turns, scattered three hits and walked one while striking out a career-high 11 to pick up his first win since June 6. Roark's last loss came before the All-Star break at New York, when he was reached for four runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in five innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals LHP Sean Doolittle underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the status of a stress reaction in his left foot.
2. New York SS Amed Rosario is 0-for-13 over his last three games, dropping his batting average to .241.
3. Washington SS Trea Turner apologized Sunday for insensitive tweets made as a teenager that resurfaced after the game.