Nationals at Mets
The New York Mets are continuing their climb up the standings in the National League, thanks in large part to the Washington Nationals bullpen. The Nationals will try to keep the ball away from the relief corps and avoid a sweep in the three-game series when they visit the Mets for the finale on Sunday.
New York overcame a 6-3 deficit in the ninth inning to earn a 7-6 victory on Friday and got to Fernando Rodney on Saturday, tying it in the eighth on Luis Guillorme's first career home run and taking the lead on J.D. Davis' sacrifice fly before Seth Lugo finished the ninth to complete a 4-3 victory. The Mets are winners of 15 of their last 16 games to go from afterthoughts in the NL postseason race to a half-game behind the Nationals and the Milwaukee Brewers, who are tied for the two NL wild card spots. Washington, which owns the worst bullpen in the majors and suffered seven blown saves in 15 games against New York this season, dropped to 4-4 on its nine-game road trip with Saturday's setback. The Nationals will send veteran Anibal Sanchez to the mound on Sunday while New York goes for the sweep behind reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Anibal Sanchez (7-6, 3.67 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (7-7, 2.77)
Sanchez has not lost since May 10 and is coming off a win at San Francisco in which he allowed two runs - one earned - and four hits over six innings. The Venezuela native worked at least six innings in eight of his last 10 starts and posted seven quality starts in that span. Sanchez worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings in his lone start against the Mets in May before leaving with a hamstring strain that sent him to the injured list.
DeGrom is 4-2 with a 2.08 ERA over his last 14 starts and scattered two runs on five hits across seven innings against Miami to pick up a win on Monday. The Stetson product worked seven innings in each of his last four turns and yielded a total of three runs while striking out 38 in that span. DeGrom is making his third start against Washington this season and allowed a total of one run and seven hits while striking out 18 across 12 innings in the first two chances.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals OF Juan Soto homered twice on Saturday to push his season total to 24.
2. New York C Wilson Ramos homered three times in his last six games.
3. Washington RHP Max Scherzer (back strain) threw a bullpen session on Saturday and is likely to throw one more before returning to games.