The Nats have a showdown at the Nats Park. They better come ready to fight because today starts the road to improving their chances to making the postseason. The Nats are 4 games behind the team they will be playing today. This is where the Nats control their own destiny instead of relying on other teams to beat the Mets the Nats take them on themselves.
The biggest game of the season is today. If there was ever a must-win, it is today for the Nats.
#Nats vs. #Mets: Werth LF, Rendon 2B, Harper RF, Zimmerman 1B, Escobar 3B, Desmond SS, Ramos C, Taylor CF, Scherzer P pic.twitter.com/h0dDDwaoUd
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 7, 2015
Keeping to the “Greed is Good” theme from Gordon Gecko we turn to “Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher” by Earl Weaver. Max Scherzer was yesterday’s ‘next day’s’ starting pitcher and he is your momentum builder. Yes, take it one game at a time, but the Nats must work on taking this game from Jon Niese.
Sample sizes are rather large against Niese for many of the players.
Espi batting right-handed vs Niese is batting .429 9-21 with a HR while Yunel is a .125 hitter in a smaller sample size of 8 ABs with a very good 4 walks. Tyler Moore has a 1.000 OPS vs Niese while RZim’s OPS is .879.
Ramos is also batting .429 with a HR, Ryan Zimmerman at .400, Tyler Moore .364 with a HR, ARen at .333, Werth .313 in 32 ABs, Uggla .303 in 33 ABs, Desi .259, and MAT at .250.
Today’s lineup:
- Werth LF
- Rendon 2B
- Harper RF
- RZ 1B
- Escobar 3B
- Desi SS
- Ramos C
- MAT CF
- Scherzer P
Here is how Terry Collins feels about this series:
Terry Collins on the #Mets-Nationals series starting today. "For me, this is the first round of the playoffs."
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 7, 2015
Oh, that Lucas Duda guy, he will be arriving to the stadium late and be available for pinch-hitting duties. Duda has been out nursing ailments.
