Well, that wasn't what everyone was hoping for in Atlanta, was it? Well, the Washington Nationals come back home to face the New York Mets after an off-day for a three-game series kicking off Tuesday.
Probable Pitchers
Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.
WSH: Jordan Zimmermann (8-3, 2.37)
NYM: Jeremy Hefner (1-5, 4.74)
Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.
WSH: Dan Haren (4-6, 5.09)
NYM: Dillon Gee (3-6, 5.68)
Thursday, 7:05 p.m.
WSH: Stephen Strasburg (3-5, 2.54)
NYM: Shaun Marcum (0-6, 5.71)
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
NEW YORK METS
Projected Mets Lineup (via MLB Depth Charts)
SS Omar Quintanilla
2B Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
LF Lucas Duda
RF Marlon Byrd
1B Ike Davis
C John Buck
CF Rick Ankiel vs RHP
BENCH
C Anthony Recker
1B/OF Mike Baxter
IF/OF Justin Turner
IF/OF Jordany Valdespin
OF Juan Lagares vs LHP
BULLPEN
RHP Bobby Parnell
RHP Brandon Lyon
RHP LaTroy Hawkins
LHP Scott Rice
RHP Greg Burke
LHP Robert Carson
HITTER TO WATCH
Ike Davis
Davis hit 32 home runs last season which took away some attention from his struggles. This year, he has no such luck. He has homered only once in his last 30 days. To put that into perspective, Rick Ankiel has two home runs over the same span with seven less games and about 25 less at bats. Omar Quintanilla has one homerun this season - in only 14 at bats. His .168/.245/.272 line has people wondering if or when he will be demoted to the minor leagues and his .169/.216/.229 last 30 days doesn't make you think he's turning it around.
PITCHER TO WATCH
Dillon Gee
Gee has faced the Nationals once this year. He allowed no runs in that start on April 21. In his last 10 starts, that is only one of his four starts in which he allowed less than four runs. The others were May 9 vs Pittsburgh and May 19 against the Cubs. He is coming off of the fourth, a great start against the Yankees that saw him strike out 12. In a year for Gee that is very much feast of famine, it will be interesting if the Nationals have more answers for him than they did in his first start against them.