Daniel Murphy takes another home trot against the NY Mets
Clearly, the Washington Nationals miss Daniel Murphy who has just seemed to dominate the Mets in his career with the Washington Nationals. Murphy has ownage on his original team where he sports his best NL stats slashing .386 /.435/ .700/ 1.135 in 38 career games. While Howie Kendrick is a key substitute in Murphy’s absence, he does not instill that fear in opposing pitchers like Murphy has with some of these Mets hurlers. Murphy has a career .778 slugging percentage, by the way, against today’s Mets’ starter Steven Matz while Howie Kendrick is at .167. Time to turn those numbers around today Howie as the Nats players have to step-up for Murphy.
Early in the week it looked like Mother Nature was going to fill Nationals Park with several inches of snow today. On the updated forecast, there is not snow and the rain is now supposed to stay just south of the beltway and should miss Nats Park. Unfortunately it will feel like football weather as the game time temperatures will be around 42°F with a wind chill putting a freeze into those sitting in the upper deck.
Nationals’ manager Dave Martinez will look to his fiery lefty Gio Gonzalez to get the team back into the win column. It will also take the Nats’ bats to get going. There is also little statistics against the Mets starter Matz by Nationals players making match-up baseball difficult. Ryan Zimmerman is a career 0-for-9 against Matz which could mean this is the day that Zim finds it.
If you had April 7th as the first day for a roster move, you will win that part of the predictions pool as Matt Reynolds and Jhonatan Solano will both be activated today. As expected, Adam Eaton will not be in the line-up. It looks like Miguel Montero could be headed out today on paternity leave.
New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1st Pitch: 1:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN2; MLB App out-of-market
Nats Radio: 106.7 The Fan and via the MLB app
Line-ups subject to change without notice:
- Trea Turner SS
- Anthony Rendon 3B
- Bryce Harper RF
- Ryan Zimmerman 1B
- Howie Kendrick 2B
- Michael Taylor CF
- Brian Goodwin LF
- Pedro Severino C
- Gio Gonzalez LHP
