Post by Commissioner Erick on Nov 27, 2019 15:39:37 GMT -5
New York Mets (58-78) @ Washington Nationals (74-63)
NYM: Matt Harvey (8-10, 4.01)
WAS: Joe Ross (7-9, 3.87)
The Washington Nationals have plateaued after the All-Star Break, and haven't been able to catch the Marlins or Phillies as the season winds down. Right now, the defending champions would be on the outside of the playoffs looking in, with 13 games remaining against the Marlins and Phillies. Considering the quality of those opponents, Washington will need to pick up winnable games against teams playing for next year like the New York Mets. Washington will need to contend with Dominic Smith's 34 home runs and .317 average, as the Mets still have a respectable lineup and a good arm in Matt Harvey taking the hill. Still, should Washington consider itself a playoff team, it will need to pick up wins over teams like the Mets.
Players to Watch:
Mets:
CL—Addison Reed:
Reed has come back from a torn UCL better than before, as he's having the best year of his career 26 months after the operation. Reed has a 2.55 ERA, 1.8 WAR, and has allowed just three home runs on the year. He's strong against hitters from both sides of the plate, and has not allowed a run since July 6, a span of 23.2 innings, and 21 games.
RP—Daniel Coulombe:
Coloumbe recently got the loss on Monday when the Mets manager bot brought him in to face right-hander Maikel Franco in a pivotal moment, and Franco took him deep. Coulombe is far better against lefties then righties, and should be reserved specifically for Bryce Harper and Eric Thames who are a combined 6-35 against the lefty.
LF—Justin Williams:
Williams has been pretty brutal since June, and his playing time has been cut as a result. His on-base number is now below .300, and his average has dropped to .248, He's driven in a run in only three games since August, but has struck out in each of his last eight games. Williams still has good pop, but if he's going to hit in the .240s, he's not good enough to be a full time designated hitter.
Nationals:
RP—Felipe Rivero:
One of the better closers in history, Rivero has not had success with Washington after a terrific run as a Pirate. He's allowed too many walks and home runs, and as a result, has an ERA of 5.49. He's allowed three or more runs five times in an outing, including twice against the Mets. In all, Rivero has been pretty dismal this year except in two ways. One, he's allowed only 20% of inherited runners to score. Two, he's helped the Nats catch six of seven runners stealing when he's on the mound. With that profile, he may be better entering innings with men on than starting clean.
SP Franklin E. Perez:
Perez probably won't pitch in this series and is scheduled to open Washington's next series with Miami. That's probably a good thing as Perez has been brilliant this year. After 6.2 shutout innings against Atlanta last time out, Perez' ERA is down to 3.16, good for fifth in the NL. His FIP is second in the NL, as he leads qualified National Leaguers in strikeout rate and fewest homers allowed. He came over from Houston in the Peter Solomon trade that continues to look like one of the best deals that a team will ever make.
2B—Matt Carpenter:
Carpenter has evolved to being a part-time player, with age and injuries taking their toll. He has an OPS above .800 against righties, but hasn't hit lefties at all, making him an ideal platoon partner for Anthony Rendon. All of Rendon's home runs have come off righties, and he has over a 200-point difference in slugging against righties versus lefties. He's not scheduled to start today, but has great value as a pinch-hitter.
TRIVIA: Franklin Barreto is first all-time in doubles. Who is second?
NYM: Matt Harvey (8-10, 4.01)
WAS: Joe Ross (7-9, 3.87)
The Washington Nationals have plateaued after the All-Star Break, and haven't been able to catch the Marlins or Phillies as the season winds down. Right now, the defending champions would be on the outside of the playoffs looking in, with 13 games remaining against the Marlins and Phillies. Considering the quality of those opponents, Washington will need to pick up winnable games against teams playing for next year like the New York Mets. Washington will need to contend with Dominic Smith's 34 home runs and .317 average, as the Mets still have a respectable lineup and a good arm in Matt Harvey taking the hill. Still, should Washington consider itself a playoff team, it will need to pick up wins over teams like the Mets.
Players to Watch:
Mets:
CL—Addison Reed:
Reed has come back from a torn UCL better than before, as he's having the best year of his career 26 months after the operation. Reed has a 2.55 ERA, 1.8 WAR, and has allowed just three home runs on the year. He's strong against hitters from both sides of the plate, and has not allowed a run since July 6, a span of 23.2 innings, and 21 games.
RP—Daniel Coulombe:
Coloumbe recently got the loss on Monday when the Mets manager bot brought him in to face right-hander Maikel Franco in a pivotal moment, and Franco took him deep. Coulombe is far better against lefties then righties, and should be reserved specifically for Bryce Harper and Eric Thames who are a combined 6-35 against the lefty.
LF—Justin Williams:
Williams has been pretty brutal since June, and his playing time has been cut as a result. His on-base number is now below .300, and his average has dropped to .248, He's driven in a run in only three games since August, but has struck out in each of his last eight games. Williams still has good pop, but if he's going to hit in the .240s, he's not good enough to be a full time designated hitter.
Nationals:
RP—Felipe Rivero:
One of the better closers in history, Rivero has not had success with Washington after a terrific run as a Pirate. He's allowed too many walks and home runs, and as a result, has an ERA of 5.49. He's allowed three or more runs five times in an outing, including twice against the Mets. In all, Rivero has been pretty dismal this year except in two ways. One, he's allowed only 20% of inherited runners to score. Two, he's helped the Nats catch six of seven runners stealing when he's on the mound. With that profile, he may be better entering innings with men on than starting clean.
SP Franklin E. Perez:
Perez probably won't pitch in this series and is scheduled to open Washington's next series with Miami. That's probably a good thing as Perez has been brilliant this year. After 6.2 shutout innings against Atlanta last time out, Perez' ERA is down to 3.16, good for fifth in the NL. His FIP is second in the NL, as he leads qualified National Leaguers in strikeout rate and fewest homers allowed. He came over from Houston in the Peter Solomon trade that continues to look like one of the best deals that a team will ever make.
2B—Matt Carpenter:
Carpenter has evolved to being a part-time player, with age and injuries taking their toll. He has an OPS above .800 against righties, but hasn't hit lefties at all, making him an ideal platoon partner for Anthony Rendon. All of Rendon's home runs have come off righties, and he has over a 200-point difference in slugging against righties versus lefties. He's not scheduled to start today, but has great value as a pinch-hitter.
TRIVIA: Franklin Barreto is first all-time in doubles. Who is second?