NEW YORK – After Josiah Gray dominated the Mets lineup and finally got some much-needed run support for a win last night, MacKenzie Gore will take the mound at Citi Field tonight looking to repeat the feat.
Gore will face the Mets for the first time, with only tonight’s designated hitter Tommy Pham facing him before, hitting .400 in five at-bats. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 3.43 ERA over his first four starts with the Nats. Though he’s been solid with runs and strikeouts, Gore will look to limit his walks, having issued four free passes in three of his four outings.
The Nationals offense will face right-hander Kodai Senga in the regular season for the first time. Senga made one spring training start against the Nats in West Palm Beach on March 16, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts in three innings.
Signed to a five-year, $75 million contract out of Japan this offseason, Senga is known for throwing his “ghost forkball,” while also throwing a 95-96 mph fastball, cutter and slider. Though he has a 3-0 record and strong strikeout numbers, he too has struggled with walks and homers, giving up at least three free passes in each of his four outings and at least one home run in each of his last three.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB Network (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 54 degrees, wind 11 mph out to left-center field