Nationals at Mets
The New York Mets are trying to prove themselves against tougher competition this weekend and passed the first test with a walk-off victory on Friday. The Mets will try to make it eight consecutive victories and fight off the pack in the National League wild-card race when they host the Washington Nationals in the second of a three-game series on Saturday.
New York won 13 of 14 against sub-.500 teams to join the wild-card race and began a stretch with 31 of 34 against teams with current winning records by scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth on Friday, with Todd Frazier's three-run blast tying the game and Michael Conforto's RBI single chasing in the winning run in a 7-6 triumph. The win pulled the Mets into a virtual three-way tie with the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers for the second wild card - 1 1/2 games behind the wild card-leading Nationals. Washington's big problem all season has been in the bullpen, and it was closer Sean Doolittle serving up four runs in the ninth inning on Friday to suffer his fifth blown save and end the team's three-game winning streak. The Nationals will try to recover on Saturday behind left-hander Patrick Corbin while New York counters with flame-throwing righty Noah Syndergaard.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), WPIX (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Patrick Corbin (9-5, 3.43 ERA) vs. Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (8-5, 3.96)
Corbin had a string of eight straight starts allowing three or fewer earned runs come to an end when he was knocked around for five runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings at Arizona on Sunday without factoring in the decision. The 30-year-old surrendered a total of four runs in his three previous outings and last suffered a loss at the Chicago White Sox on June 11. Corbin is 2-2 in four starts against the Mets this season but both losses came at New York, where he allowed a total of seven runs and 12 hits - five homers - in 11 innings.
Syndergaard is enjoying a string of five straight quality starts and scattered one run and three hits across seven innings to earn a win at Pittsburgh on Sunday. The 26-year-old Texan did not yield a home run in any of his last five turns and owns 39 strikeouts over 35 1/3 innings in that span. Syndergaard is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 20 innings in three starts against Washington this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Mets signed veteran 2B Joe Panik on Friday after he cleared waivers and was released by the San Francisco Giants.
2. Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (1,625) on Friday passed Steve Rogers (1,621) for first place on the franchise's all-time strikeout list.
3. New York signed veteran RHP Brad Brach on Thursday and he is with the team this weekend but did not make his debut in Friday's loss.