NEW YORK – Game one of this weekend series didn’t go so well for the Nationals, who took an early 4-1 lead over the Mets but ultimately lost 12-6 behind poor pitching and poor defense. New York, in the process, maintained its two-game lead over the victorious Reds for the final wild card berth in the National League with eight games to go.
They’ll be back at it this afternoon, with another matchup of rookie pitchers on the mound.
Cade Cavalli makes his ninth start, his first against the Mets. The right-hander has allowed three or fewer in six of his first eight outings, an encouraging development overall. Because he’s been held to five innings for the most part, though, Cavalli’s ERA is a bit inflated at 4.76. He also has struck out only three total batters over his last two starts, low by his standards. We’ll see how he fares in this one against a Mets lineup that ranks second in the NL in homers and eighth in strikeouts.
Nolan McLean is yet another New York rookie who has burst onto the scene over the last month, opening his career 4-1 with a 1.19 ERA. The 2023 draft pick has reached the sixth inning in each of his previous six starts, averaging nearly seven strikeouts per outing. He has a deep arsenal that features a mid-90s sinker and a mid-80s sweeper. The Nats did a nice job Friday night of figuring out fellow rookie Brandon Sproat as the game progressed. Perhaps they can do the same against McLean.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees, wind 8 mph in from right field
NATIONALS
Lineup TBA
RHP Cade Cavalli
METS
Lineup TBA
RHP Nolan McLean