Ny Mets Mets vs Washington Nationals Picks and Predictions July 9th 2024

Mets, Nationals Begin 3-Game Series in Search of Spark

The New York Mets and Washington Nationals are both in need of a turnaround as they head into their three-game series starting Tuesday night. The Mets’ momentum stalled with losses in the final two games of a four-game series against the Nationals last week. However, these wins did not provide the Nationals with the boost they needed either.

Upcoming Matchup

Both teams are seeking a spark when the Mets host the Nationals. Left-hander Jose Quintana (3-5, 4.22 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against right-hander Jake Irvin (7-6, 2.80 ERA) in a rematch of last week’s series finale in Washington.

Recent Games

Both teams lost the finale of their respective weekend wraparound series on Monday afternoon. The Mets missed a chance to take a series from the host Pittsburgh Pirates, who earned an 8-2 win. The Nationals fell to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, 6-0, squandering an opportunity to salvage a split of the set.

Mets’ Challenges

The Mets’ struggles after rookie right-hander Christian Scott exited the game on Monday were emblematic of their recent issues. This marked the end of a 2-4 stretch that began with Scott’s previous start, a 7-5 loss to the Nationals last Wednesday. In that game, the Mets entered the sixth inning with a 5-1 lead. However, with their bullpen stretched by the suspension of Edwin Diaz, manager Carlos Mendoza tried to extend Scott’s outing. Scott gave up a two-out, three-run homer to Luis Garcia Jr. on his season-high 99th pitch.

Mendoza had Scott on a 75-pitch limit on Monday, allowing just one hit—a two-run homer to Oneil Cruz—before exiting at 77 pitches after 5 2/3 innings with the score tied 2-2. The Pirates then scored five runs off Eric Orze, making his major league debut, and Adrian Houser in the sixth before adding an insurance run in the eighth. These struggles raised the Mets’ collective bullpen ERA to 4.13.

“There’s some games that have gotten away from us, but you know what—honestly, that’s the story of the year so far,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said, who hit a two-run homer on Monday. “We haven’t been able to lock down wins all the time, and that’s a problem. But we’re hoping to address it.”

Nationals’ Inconsistencies

Since a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins from June 14-16, Washington’s victories over the Mets last week were its first in a row. Be that as it may, the Nationals blew a five-run lead in a 7-6, 11-inning misfortune to the Cardinals on Friday prior to requiring four pitchers to explore a 14-6 win on Saturday, when they scored the initial nine runs.

In the series’ final two games, the Nationals did not lead. After losing 8-3 on Sunday, Washington went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position on Monday, when All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams made two mistakes that resulted in two runs that weren’t earned.

“This is a time of year where it’s tiring,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We’ve got to find a way, and the best way to do it is focus on the little things. We got to start focusing on the little things and not beat ourselves.”

Previous Matchup: Quintana vs. Irvin

In the Nationals’ 1-0 victory on Thursday, which lasted just 1 hour and 58 minutes, Quintana and Irvin traded zeroes. After pitching seven innings and giving up four hits, Quintana was not considered in the decision. Over a career-high eight innings, Irvin gave up just one hit, a single by Jeff McNeil in the third, and got the win after Jesse Winker hit a home run off Houser in the eighth.

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Quintana is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA in six career starts against the Nationals. Irvin is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in two starts against the Mets.

Conclusion

In this three-game series, both the Mets and Nationals are looking for a much-needed spark to restart their seasons. Solid exhibitions from their beginning pitchers, Quintana and Irvin, will be vital. The series opener on Tuesday night vows to be an essential game for the two groups as they endeavor to find their balance and gather speed heading into the last part of the time.