NEW YORK – There haven’t been many days in the last two years when the Nationals could compare themselves to the Mets and feel better about their own situation than their division counterparts. And there may not be many more days in the near future when that will be the case.

But on this day, July 29, 2023, it was impossible for the guys in the visitors’ dugout at Citi Field to look across the way and believe the grass was any greener over there.

Hours after watching the Mets consummate a haphazard deal that will send Max Scherzer (and a boatload of money) to the Rangers for Ronald Acuña Jr.’s younger brother, the Nationals proceeded to beat up on their hosts and the fans who waited out yet another rain delay, pouring salt in their wounds during an 11-6 thumping.

Make no mistake, the Mets are still ahead of the Nationals in the NL East by 5 1/2 games. And they are going to be motivated to go all-in on trying to win the World Series title that has eluded them since 1986 once again next year. But forgive anybody wearing a curly W cap tonight for feeling even a twinge of schadenfreude given the events of the last 48 hours.

"You're always surprised when, especially a team like the Mets that has so many good players, and all of a sudden they decide the trade was imminent with him," manager Davey Martinez said. "I can say to the Rangers that they're getting a quality starter, a guy that's going to go out there and give them everything he's got. He's definitely going to help Texas. As you all know, I love Max. He's done some unbelievable things for us here in D.C., and I wish him well. I'm glad we don't have to face him again."

NEW YORK – Jeimer Candelario is back in the Nationals lineup tonight, having survived Friday night’s injury scare and ready to resume playing as Tuesday’s trade deadline inches closer.

Candelario thought he hurt his left shoulder an awkward slide into second base as he tried to stretch an eighth-inning single into a double during the Nats’ 5-1 loss to the Mets. He immediately grabbed his left arm and motioned to the dugout for a trainer, then later walked off the field under his own power.

The 29-year-old didn’t return, but because he was serving as designated hitter instead of playing his usual third base position, he was never officially taken out of the game. He wound up taking swings in the cage and declared himself fine and even said he would’ve been able to bat had his spot in the lineup come up again.

“It was scary, but I’m good,” he said afterward.

Davey Martinez didn’t hesitate to put Candelario back in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Mets, penciling him back into the No. 3 spot and at third base.

NEW YORK – It’s been a rough week at the plate for the Nationals. Even in their victories over the Rockies at home, they needed to rally in the eighth and ninth to pull ahead. In fact, they have scored only three runs (two of those unearned) in the first six innings of their last five games. That’s got to change at some point, right?

Perhaps it will tonight against Carlos Carrasco, who enters with a 5.82 ERA, having just been roughed up by the Red Sox for five runs and 10 hits in only 2 1/3 innings six days ago. The Mets right-hander has yet to face the Nationals this season, so there’s no recent track record in either direction.

Davey Martinez has two changes to his lineup: Stone Garrett starts in left field, even against the righty, instead of Corey Dickerson. And Riley Adams gets the nod behind the plate, with Keibert Ruiz resting and presumably set to start Sunday’s series finale.

Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nats, and he could use a good one after allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits his last time out against the Rockies. Corbin did pitch well against the Mets earlier this season, allowing two runs over six innings. His biggest challenge tonight: Keeping Pete Alonso in the yard. The New York slugger (who blasted two home runs Friday night) is 14-for-40 with five homers in his career against Corbin.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 88 degrees, wind 14 mph out to right field

NEW YORK – Luis García has faced 14 pitchers at least 10 times in his major league career. He’s had far more success against one of them than anyone else. And the identity of that one opponent may surprise you: Max Scherzer.

Yes, over the course of 11 head-to-head plate appearances against the three-time Cy Young Award winner and likely future Hall of Famer, García has six hits. One of those was a double. Two of them were homers.

Put that all together, and you’ve got a 1.727 OPS against one of the greatest pitchers of this generation. Even García has to smile and laugh when asked how he’s managed to do that.

“To be honest, I can’t even tell you,” he said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. “I feel like maybe I go in there with greater focus, because it is Max Scherzer, and he’s a very good pitcher. I think one of his best pitches, if not his best pitch, is his fastball. And I’m a good fastball hitter, so maybe that’s it.”

García certainly handled Scherzer’s fastball well Friday night. He mashed one of them 406 feet to deep right-center, producing the Nationals’ one and only run off the 39-year-old right-hander during a 5-1 loss to the Mets.

NEW YORK – Josiah Gray managed to pull it off Thursday night, playing with fire but emerging unscathed for six scoreless innings. MacKenzie Gore tried to pull off the same feat tonight at Citi Field, until he finally got burned at a most inopportune moment.

After pitching out of jams in each of his first four innings, Gore couldn’t pitch out of his last one in the fifth. The Nationals left-hander hung a slider to Pete Alonso and watched the ball soar to left field, the decisive three-run blow in what wound up a 5-1 loss to the Mets that might've been even more damaging had Jeimer Candelario suffered a significant injury in the top of the eighth.

Candelario, fortunately, appears to be fine after getting twisted up sliding into second base while trying to stretch a single into a double and briefly feeling discomfort in his left shoulder.

On that aggressive baserunning play with his team down four runs, Candelario beat the throw to second but had to try to touch the base with his left hand after his feet got twisted up. In the process, he grabbed second base umpire Vic Carapazza, and that caused whatever pain he felt in his own arm, prompting him to motion to the dugout for assistance. 

"Everything's good, everything's good," Candelario insisted. "I just tried to come back, but the umpire was right there. It's part of the game. It was scary, but I'm good."

NEW YORK – It’s a rare thing to see a Nationals lineup without Joey Meneses in it. Aside from two games he missed in May for the birth of his son, Meneses has been on the bench only five times this year.

He’s got tonight off, though, as manager Davey Martinez looks to field what he thinks may be a better matchup against Max Scherzer and simultaneously give Jeimer Candelario a chance to rest his feet.

With Meneses sitting, Candelario is serving as designated hitter against the Mets. That opens up third base for Ildemaro Vargas.

“I wanted to give Candy a DH day,” manager Davey Martinez said. “Facing Max, the slider can be tough. So I’m just giving him a day.”

Candelario has been taking a beating in recent weeks, getting hit by pitch four times in his last 14 games and also taking a bad-bounce grounder off his right thumb, resulting in a bone bruise that knocked him out of the lineup for two days.

NEW YORK – This isn’t the first time the Nationals have faced Max Scherzer since trading him away two years ago. This is actually the fifth time they’ll face their former ace, the second time this season. And Scherzer has done quite well against them, going 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.

But this may not be the same Scherzer we’ve seen in the past. He just turned 39 on Thursday. He’s given up four or five runs in three of his last four starts. His 4.20 ERA is his worst since 2011, and the two homers he’s surrendering per nine innings represents the worst rate of his career.

Making tonight’s matchup all the more compelling is the fact the Nationals send MacKenzie Gore to the mound. Former ace vs. potential future ace. Gore has a long way to go to show up in the same sentence as Scherzer, but he has shown plenty of glimpses of his dominance this season. For example, he’s allowed zero or one run in eight of his 20 starts. The problem: He’s allowed five or more runs in four of his last eight starts.

So which version of Gore will show up tonight? And will he be able to outperform Scherzer? Should be a fun one.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 87 degrees, wind 10 mph out to left field

NEW YORK – It was easy to focus on the manner in which the Nationals lost Thursday night’s game to the Mets, 2-1. Both runs allowed came off the bullpen, which had to adjust on the fly after a sudden downpour halted play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning before Kyle Finnegan could throw his first pitch.

Davey Martinez, though, recognized the larger problem with Thursday’s game. It had nothing to do with the Nats pitching staff. It had everything to do with their lineup.

“We’ve got to start swinging the bats,” the manager said. “We’ve got guys on third base with less than two outs, in games like this, those runs are important. We’ve got to have better at-bats, any way you can to get the ball in the outfield. We’ve got to do a better job of that.”

The only run the Nationals scored in this game came in the top of the sixth, and it wasn’t exactly a rousing rally that made it possible. CJ Abrams drew a leadoff walk and then stole second. Jeimer Candelario reached on catcher’s interference. Joey Meneses singled through the left side of the infield to load the bases. And Keibert Ruiz then lofted a ball to right field for the sacrifice fly that scored Abrams.

That’s all they managed all night. Even though there were opportunities for more.

NEW YORK – Kyle Finnegan trotted in from the bullpen, took the ball from Davey Martinez and began warming up for what was about to be the biggest moment of the night. The bases were loaded with one out in the bottom of the eighth, the Nationals and Mets were tied and Finnegan was going to have to try to pitch his way out of this jam and send the game to the ninth still tied.

And then before he could actually throw his first pitch to Mark Canha, Finnegan turned to his right and saw the Citi Field grounds crew racing into action. Umpires motioned to everyone to get off the field. The PA announcer instructed fans to take cover. And this tie ballgame was thrust into a most untimely delay just moments before the skies over Flushing opened and dumped torrential rain and wind onto the now-covered field.

By the time it was finally OK to play again, some 97 minutes later, Finnegan was back on the mound, ready to face that bases-loaded jam again. And though the Nats closer did his job, it wasn’t enough to prevent the eventual winning run from scoring.

Canha’s sacrifice fly to right on Finnegan’s fifth pitch was enough to lift the Mets to a wild, 2-1 victory at the end of a long and strange night at the ballpark.

"As a a reliever, you're constantly getting warmed up and then sat down," Finnegan said. "So I just played it like that. I was fine. No issues."

NEW YORK – Two key Nationals relievers are ready to start facing live hitters in game-like situations. The club is motivated to get one of them off the injured list as soon as possible, not as much with the other.

Carl Edwards Jr. and Tanner Rainey are both scheduled to face hitters in a simulated game Friday in West Palm Beach, Fla., the first time each right-hander will reach that stage of his respective rehab program.

A simulated game is usually the final step for a recovering pitcher before he begins a minor league rehab assignment, but while Edwards may be ready to take that final step soon, the Nats appear likely to wait a bit longer with Rainey.

Edwards, on the 15-day IL with inflammation in his shoulder, has been out since June 19. The 31-year-old, who had a 3.69 ERA and two saves in 32 appearances before getting hurt, was going to be one of the Nationals’ top trade chips this summer. With the Aug. 2 deadline now only five days away, Edwards is almost out of time to make it back onto the active roster to prove to interested clubs he’s fully healthy again.

Teams are allowed to trade players who are on the IL – the Nats did it with Kyle Schwarber in 2021 – but the return for injured players is almost always going to be diminished to some extent. If the Nationals can get Edwards back on the active roster and to pitch at least once for them before Aug. 2, they might be able to find a taker willing to give up a prospect of more consequence for the veteran setup man.

NEW YORK – The Nationals just completed their best homestand of the season. They’ve won nine of their last 14 overall. Now they’ll see if they can keep it up on the road against a Mets team that desperately needs to turn things on, lest they actually become sellers at next week’s trade deadline.

Yeah, the situation is that dire here in Flushing, where the most expensive team in baseball has the eighth-worst record in baseball, is 17 1/2 games out of first place and 7 1/2 games out of the wild card race, with five teams to chase in front of it. If we’re being realistic, the Mets probably need to sweep this four-game series to make a compelling case for owner Steve Cohen to buy before Tuesday’s deadline.

The Nats will try to prevent that with their All-Star starter on the mound for the series opener tonight. Josiah Gray is coming off an excellent outing against the Giants, when he allowed one run and four hits over seven innings. He’s already pitched very well here at Citi Field this year, shutting out the Mets over six innings April 25.

Kodai Senga starts for New York. The 30-year-old rookie from Japan hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a month, lowering his ERA to 3.27 in the process. He faced the Nationals in that same late-April series, allowing two runs in five innings but taking the loss.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 81 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

For eight innings of yesterday’s finale, it looked like the Nationals offense had run out of juice to mount another comeback.

But that’s why baseball plays nine innings.

After Lane Thomas’ one-out single in the third inning, the Nats sent the minimum to the plate over the next 5 ⅔ innings. The only baserunner over that stretch was Jeimer Candelario, who was hit by a pitch from Peter Lambert in the sixth and then out on a double play ball by Joey Meneses.

The Nats only had five baserunners after eight innings on three hits, a walk and the hit batter.

“The chasing,” manager Davey Martinez lamented after the game on the Nats’ lack of offense. “We gave away too many at-bats because we were chasing all day today. We play a game like we did last night, come back and play at 12 o'clock. I tell these guys that’s part of growing up right now is that you got to grind today. Today's a grind day for some of our young players and veteran guys. It's not gonna be easy. I know it's hot. But you gotta grind.”

Despite the long wait and two rain delays, the Nationals built some momentum at the end of last night’s game with Joey Meneses’ dramatic three-run home run in the eighth inning.

After a 10-6 loss to the Rockies on Monday, the Nats were hoping to ride the high from a 6-5 win last night (or more accurately, early this morning) into this afternoon’s finale.

Well, for most of the afternoon, it seemed like it hadn’t. Then all of a sudden, the scrappy Nats came right back for another late rally.

The Nationals came back from another three-run deficit to beat the Rockies 5-4 on CJ Abrams’ walk-off single in the ninth in front of 16,893 fans who attended Nats Park on a blistering hot Camp Day.

"We showed hard as a team," Abrams said after the dramatic win. "It’s never over til it’s over, so keep fighting until it is.”

The Nationals brought in some bullpen reinforcement ahead of this afternoon’s finale against the Rockies.

Andrés Machado had his contract selected from Triple-A Rochester, Amos Willingham was optioned down to Rochester and Victor Robles was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

After starting the season in Rochester, Machado, 30, posted an 8.47 ERA and 1.765 WHIP in 17 innings over 14 major league appearances this season. He was designated for assignment on June 5 when Jordan Weems was recalled.

The right-hander struggled with his command in his short time with Washington. He gave up 25 hits, six home runs, five walks, a balk and a wild pitch while only striking out 12.

With the Red Wings, he has a 4.08 ERA and 1.186 WHIP in 28 ⅔ innings over 24 outings.

Well, after last night’s dramatic, twice-rain-delayed, comeback back win, can the Nationals carry their momentum over to win this series against the Rockies and end this homestand on a positive note?

If they do, it would be their second series win in a row and sixth in their last nine.

Jake Irvin will look to follow up one of the best outings of his young career this afternoon. On Friday, he struck out a career-high nine Giants over 6 ⅔ innings while earning his third win of his rookie year. Manager Davey Martinez was impressed with the adjustments Irvin made throughout that start – throwing his changeup more – so that will be something to keep an eye on today.

The Rockies are starting right-hander Peter Lambert in this finale. The 26-year-old right-hander is 2-1 with a 5.49 ERA and 1.525 WHIP over 16 major league appearances this year (two starts). This will be his third start in a row, combining to pitch only eight scoreless innings with five hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 12:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 86 degrees, wind 4 mph out to left field

The first rain delay – in which it never rained hard enough for the infield to be covered – was frustrating. The second rain delay – in which it did actually rain and sent everyone running for cover in the top of the seventh – was more frustrating.

But at the end of a long night of baseball, there was no frustration in the home clubhouse at Nationals Park. There were nothing but smiles after a rousing, come-from-behind, 6-5 victory over the Rockies that only came to fruition after all the misery and waiting that predated it.

Joey Meneses’ three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth capped a four-run rally and propelled the Nats to a much-needed victory on the heels of an ugly loss the previous night. It was witnessed by only a fraction of the 18,182 who paid to attend tonight’s game, but those who were still there at 11:35 p.m. to see Meneses launch a 1-1 pitch from right-hander Justin Lawrence deep to left were glad they waited it out.

The Nationals trailed 4-1 when the evening’s second rain delay disrupted the top of the seventh. When the game resumed at 10:59 p.m., they sprang back to life.

"It's not so much frustrating as it was a little tedious," Meneses said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. "Just a little boring, the way you get yourself warmed up, then you have to stop and do it all over again. But it definitely was very satisfactory to be able to pull off the win. Especially because if we would've stopped the game because of the rain delay, we would've lost the game."

It’s not exactly become a regular occurrence, but it’s no longer a once-in-a-blue-moon event. For the fourth time in the last month, the Nationals have both Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams in the lineup together.

Ruiz once again will serve as designated hitter for tonight’s game against the Rockies, with Adams catching as Davey Martinez tries to find ways to keep two hot bats in the lineup at the same time.

Martinez’s motivation is pretty simple. Adams has been one of baseball’s most productive backup catchers, entering tonight’s game batting .289/.344/.542 with five doubles, two triples, four homers and 11 RBIs in only 91 plate appearances. Ruiz, meanwhile, has been hot himself over the last month, batting .323/.371/.523 with four doubles, three homers and 11 RBIs over his last 17 games.

“I just try to pick days where I can do it,” Martinez said. “After this weekend, looking at everything, it just made sense for them both to get a chance to get more at-bats. I want to keep Riley going; he’s swinging the bat well. And also, Keibert’s swinging the bat really good right-handed.”

Martinez first started both of his catchers June 22 against the Diamondbacks and watched them go a combined 6-for-8 with a double and a homer. All told in the three games they’ve both started, they’ve gone a combined 11-for-25.

Was Monday night’s ugly loss to the Rockies an aberration, or have the Nationals reverted back into the form they showed prior to their weekend sweep of the Giants? Guess we’ll find out tonight when they return to the field looking to bounce back.

They’re facing an opposing starter they’ve had some success against in Austin Gomber. The Colorado left-hander enters with a 6.18 ERA and 22 homers allowed in 102 innings this season, and that includes his start way back on April 8 when the Nats scored five runs in 4 2/3 innings off him. And that doesn’t include the two starts Gomber made against the Nationals last season, when they scored 10 runs on 14 hits across eight total innings.

Davey Martinez's lineup has a few wrinkles to it: Joey Meneses is playing first base tonight with Keibert Ruiz serving as designated hitter, opening the catching spot for Riley Adams. All of that bumps Dominic Smith to the bench. Also on the bench is Luis García, who takes a seat as Michael Chavis starts at second base.

Trevor Williams happened to oppose Gomber in that April 8 game at Coors Field and pitched much better than his counterpart, allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Williams continues to give the Nationals a chance most times he takes the mound, though his record is only 5-5 thanks to a lot of no-decisions. He’ll hope to get back in the win column tonight.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 81 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

Jeimer Candelario tries his best not to think about it. There’s always another game to prepare for, batting practice to take, grounders to field. That’s how he keeps his mind off the subject everyone else wants to bring up with him: Next week’s trade deadline.

“You know how it is: I want to be able to live day by day,” the Nationals third baseman said. “I know the deadline is there, but I don’t want to pay attention to that. I want to keep going, helping my team where I’m at. Right now, I’m here. And I want to control what I can control right here.”

The Nationals have no superstars on the block this late July. Max Scherzer and Trea Turner were dealt two summers ago. Juan Soto and Josh Bell were dealt last year. The best chip they’ve got is Candelario, who is enjoying a strong season and is due to be a free agent, and that makes him far and away the most likely player on the roster to be moved before the Aug. 1 deadline.

Candelario, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Nats last winter after getting non-tendered by the Tigers, has professed his desire to stay in D.C. He’s performed well, and on Monday night delivered his 16th homer of the season to match Lane Thomas for the team lead, to go along with 28 doubles, 50 RBIs and an .821 OPS. He’s also played solid defense and would be a welcome addition for any contending team in need of help at third base.

Despite the noise surrounding him, Candelario has managed to continue to play well. He’s now hit six homers in July, more than any previous month.

Remember how everything went so well for the Nationals over the weekend? How they played crisp, clean, aggressive, winning baseball against the contending Giants and emerged with their first three-game sweep in more than two years?

Well, the Nats took the field tonight looking to keep those positive vibes going against the National League’s worst team and proceeded not to do anything they did well the previous three days.

During the course of a 10-6 loss to the Rockies, the Nationals looked nothing like the best version of themselves that had just been on display. They got a poor start out of Patrick Corbin. They did next-to-nothing at the plate against a couple of unheralded Colorado pitchers. They were charged with two errors in the field. They ran into one of the most egregious outs on the bases you’ll see all year. They were called for a balk when the pitcher turned to make a pickoff attempt at first base only to realize the runner wasn’t being held on.

"We made some mistakes," manager Davey Martinez said. "A couple of mistakes uncharacteristic to ourselves."

So it was the Nats failed to pull off their first four-game winning streak since June 27-30, 2021, back when Kyle Schwarber was launching home runs and Trea Turner was hitting for the cycle for a ballclub that believed it could compete for another World Series title.