Where: Citi Field
When: 12:10 EST
The Starters: Strasburg (10-4, 2.85) vs. Hefner (1-3, 5.85)
The Line: Nats -180, Mets +160, O/U 7.5 Runs, Nats -1.5
Starters – Stephen Strasburg will take the mound tonight for the Nats in an attempt to extend their streak of curly W’s to 5. Strasbeast has been every bit as good as expected so far this season, sporting an era under 3 and ranking near the top of the league in strikeouts all year long. The last time he faced the Mets back on April 11th, he struck out 9 and allowed just 2 hits over 6 scoreless innings. I don’t expect him to be quite that good tonight but I don’t think he’ll have much trouble either. Jeremy Hefner will start tonight for the 4th time this season and first since June 6th (also against the Nats). The 26 year old rookie hasn’t been very impressive this year, splitting time between starting and bullpen duties. But on the bright side, he is just a rookie and he has displayed great control with just 4 walks in 32.1 IP. The last time Hefner faced the Nats he turned in a solid 6 IP, 3 ER line and I expect to see something similar tonight. Advantage Nationals
Lineups – The Nationals lineup has came back down to earth after their two week hit parade just prior to the All-Star break. However, their numbers are still respectable as they rank between 4th and 8th in every major offensive statistic. That still only makes them just above mediocre but it’s an improvement over where they were in April and May. The Mets are just slightly above average as well (in fact both teams have nearly identical OPS of .733 and .734 respectively), but they do it in a slightly different way. They don’t hit for power like the Nats do but they get on base at a high rate (3rd best OBP in NL) and play small ball very well. Advantage Push
Bullpens – The Washington bullpen has been among baseball’s best groups all season long but they had a nightmarish series against the Braves that included blowing a 5 run lead with just 3 innings to play. Their struggles against Atlanta ballooned their era to 3.41 but that still ranks pretty high at 5th best in the NL. The Met’s bullpen has been better lately, but still holds the distinction of being the worst unit in the league with a 5.05 era. They have combined for 20 losses and there really isn’t anyone out there Terry Collins can call on with total confidence. Advantage Nationals
Game Summary - The Nats offense hands Strasburg an early lead and he never looks back, resulting in a 5th straight curly W.
Prediction: Nationals 5, Mets 3
Key Players (Stat Prediction): Strasburg (6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 8 K, 0 BB), Espinosa (2-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBI), Hefner (6 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 K, 1 BB), Murphy (2-4, 2 2B, RBI)
Jesse’s Picks W/L: 57 – 39