Matt Chico (5-6, 4.85 ERA) vs Tom Glavine (10-6, 4.25 ERA)
Luis Castillo hits a one-out single off Washington starter Matt Chico in the first, which is really no surprise for Castillo, the statistical anomaly, who, while batting .305 in 406 at bats before tonight, has managed only 25 RBI's, with 0 HR's, and just 13 doubles, and 3 triples out of his 124 hits. Matt Chico walks Carlos Beltran with two outs, but gets a ground out from former Expo Moises Alou to end the first.
If Tom Glavine wasn't wearing a different uniform, you might think Matt Chico was still on the mound, the two starters are so eerily similar in terms of build and delivery and right down to the number #47 on the jerseys. Glavine, the Mets newly-crowned 300-Win starter, has owned the Nationals in recent years, and overall is (32-22) in 65 starts, with 10 complete games, 4 shutouts, and a 3.32 ERA in his career against the Expos/Nationals. Glavine has no decisions in three starts against Washington in 2007. The veteran left-hander gives up two hits with two outs in the first, but keeps things scoreless.
With all the weapons in the Mets offensive arsenal, it's Damion Easley who starts the scoring with a home run to dead-left for a solo shot and a 1-0 Mets lead in the second. Chico settles in and retires the next three Mets.
After Glavine completes his second scoreless, Chico walks Jose Reyes to start the top of the third inning. DY makes a great play to rob Luis Castillo on a foul off first. Reyes steals second with Wright at bat, and Nationals catcher Brian Schneider sails the throw to center, allowing Reyes to take third. Wright lines to left, Reyes scores. 2-0 Mets.
Ryan Zimmernan ropes a two-out single to left off Glavine in the third, and scores from first when DY doubles to right center on a 3-1 fastball. 2-1 Mets. Glavine issues a walk to Austin Kearns, but gets Church swinging over an inside change-up to end the top of the frame.
Alou gives the Mets the two run lead right back with a home run on the first pitch of the Mets third from Matt Chico. Ryan Church tracks it to the wall in left, and leaps, but the home run drops over the wall and into the visitor's bullpen. 3-1 Mets. Chico walks Easley, and two outs later, Easley scores his second run of the game, tagging and scoring from third ahead of Ryan Church's throw from left. 4-1 Mets.
Chico walks Reyes for a second time to lead off the fifth. Reyes steals second again, this time without a throw from Schneider. Chico gets an unproductive groundout from Castillo, who chops one to Zimmerman at third. Chico walks Wright, and Manny Acta, Nationals Manager has seen enough. "Hollywood" Mike Bacsik, The Nationals Most Famous Pitcher, is on in relief. Carlos Beltran grounds to third, Zimmerman throws to Belliard for the force, but Beltran beats out the back end of the DP. Bacsik gets Alou to chase an outside change for strike three. 4-1 Mets middle of five.
Glavine gives up a leadoff single to Felipe Lopez on a poked-single to right, but gets Ronnie Belliard to pop out, and gets help from Jose Reyes, who fields a hard grounder from Zimmerman, tosses on a bounce to Luis Castillo at second, to Easley at first, for an inning ending DP.
Bacsik retires the side in order in the sixth. Austin Kearns lines a one-out single off Glavine in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Church lines a single through second. Brian Schneider grounds weakly to the pitcher for the second out. Nook Logan lines out to Easley at first, 4-1 Mets lead after six.
Bacsik walks the opposing pitcher to start the seventh, but gets Reyes, and Castillo out before being lifted for right-handed reliever Chris Schroder. Schroder blows a fastball by Wright to end the top of the seventh. Stand up and stretch...Glavine's back for the seventh, despite throwing over 100 pitches, and the veteran lefty retires the Nationals in order.
Schroder walks Carlos Beltran to start the eigth, but gets two outs before being lifted for Ray King, who'll face left-hander Shawn Green. Lefty vs Lefty. Green walks. Backup catcher Mike DeFelice clears the bases with a triple into the right field corner. 6-1 Mets.
Ryan Zimmerman hits a leadoff double to the base of the wall in left off Mets reliever Jorge Sosa to start the eigth. DY grounds out, moving Zimmerman to third, where Austin Kearns scores him with a single. 6-2 Mets after eight. Luis Ayala pitches a scoreless ninth. The Nationals fail to score in the bottom of the ninth, and the Mets take game one of three. 6-2 Final.
Nationals now 55-67.