And then the lead was four. The 75-61 New York Mets are holding a four-game lead in the NL East, but after losing two out of three to the Marlins to open this crucial road trip, Wednesday's game against the trailing 71-65 Washington Nationals feels far from a game they should win more often than not.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Nats might have just been swept at Citi Field a month ago, but they’re still in a decent spot when it comes to winning the NL East. Winning at least two out of three in this series feels like a must, though.
Prior to that series in the Big Apple, Washington had won four of the previous five against the Mets in 2015.
New York is +8.58 units this season. Washington is still far behind at -9.97 units.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Jacob deGrom and Stephen Strasburg are two of the top young pitchers in the game, and they are going to get a chance to strut their stuff on Wednesday night.
deGrom is just 1-2 this year against Washington, but his numbers holistically are off the charts. The righty is 12-7 with a 2.40 ERA and he’s posted quality starts in nine of his last 10 outings.
Strasburg was skipped in his last turn through the rotation due to back soreness, but prior to the start, his ERA was an awesome 1.73 since returning from the disabled list at the beginning of August.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"When we played them in that weekend series, I was definitely the most vocal guy in the pitchers' meetings, trying to give everybody an idea of what kind of hitters those guys are." – Mets' reliever Tyler Clippard on how he helped out his new teammates after pitching for the Nats for seven seasons
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Boy, the Nats would love to have Clippard on their team right now! Instead, they're stuck with Drew Storen to try to get to Jonathan Papelbon. Storen has at least settled down a little bit of late, allowing just one earned run since August 23, but his ERA since the Papelbon trade is still north of 6.00.
PROP TALK
A 10-game hitting streak is just what the doctor ordered for Ryan Zimmerman. It feels like the utility man has been in a slump for the last two seasons, but all of a sudden, he’s on fire, batting .439 on this streak with six home runs and 18 RBIs.
Others might be focusing in on Bryce Harper and all of the home runs he’s hit of late, but don't forget about Zimmerman, who really is the reason this offense has plated at least four runs in nine straight games.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
You just get the feeling that Washington is going to make the NL East race a lot tighter over the course of this week. The Nationals have had the answers for deGrom, at least in moderate spurts over the course of the season, and this might be the perfect time to really tee off on him.
The Nats are hitting the ball well, and with Storen at least keeping his head screwed on straight, the bullpen can do the rest.
As long as Strasburg looks like the man before the back injury, this is a game Washington should win.
Washington 4, New York 2
The baseball betting odds for this Wednesday game will first be available at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals will start at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at Nationals Park. You can watch the contest live on ESPN.
