A marquee pitching duel opens this much-anticipated series between NL East rivals. Two of the game’s premier pitching talents square off when Washington’s Max Scherzer, who fanned a record-tying 20 last time out, takes on New York’s Noah Syndergaard in the team’s first meeting of the season.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
Playing for the 17th consecutive day, the Mets finished off an ugly road trip through the NL West by losing Sunday in Colorado for their fourth straight loss. New York went 4-7 on their trip through San Diego, Los Angeles and Denver, finishing down 4.99 units during the 11 games.
And the thin air at Coors Field didn’t help the Mets hitters. New York scored a total of nine runs during the weekend set, playing below the total in all three and four straight overall. The Mets averaged fewer than three runs per game on the trip and the under was 8-3. The Metropolitans are hoping a day off Monday and a return to Citi Field can get them back on the right track.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
In his last start, Max Scherzer (4-2, 4.15 ERA) became just the fourth pitcher to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning outing, joining Roger Clemens, Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson. He allowed two runs on six hits and didn’t walk a batter throwing 96 of his 119 pitches for strikes. It was his first double-digit strikeout game of the season.
Both runs scored on solo home runs and Scherzer has surrendered 11 big flies this season over 52 innings, which is partly responsible for his 4.15 ERA. Scherzer delivered one of the most dominant performances in his last start at Citi Field, tossing his second no-hitter of the 2015 season and striking out 17 on Oct. 3.
Noah Syndergaard (3-2, 2.53 ERA) picked up a win of his own making against the Dodgers on Wednesday. He gave up two runs on six hits with six strikeouts over eight innings, needing just 95 pitches to do it. More impressive was his work at the dish. Syndergaard homered twice and drove in all of New York runs in a 4-3 victory.
When asked why his pitcher didn’t come out for the ninth inning, manager Terry Collins revealed that Syndergaard had a precautionary exam on his right elbow on May 2. The exam obviously showed nothing troubling, but it’s a tiny bit concerning that the Mets felt the need to have one done in the first place. Still, Syndergaard was strong enough to average 98.9 mph on his fastball and 91.3 on his slider.
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Scherzer exclaimed after his record-setting performance last week that strikeouts are “sexy.” We could be in line to get all sexed up on Tuesday. Scherzer dialed up 20 strikeouts in a complete game victory over the Tigers on Wednesday night, matching a MLB mark held by three others. Scherzer ranks third in the majors with 66 strikeouts and has fanned more than 230 in each of his four previous seasons, including a career-best 276 last year in 228.2 innings. Mad Max is averaging more strikeouts per nine innings this season than he did in 2015.
In his first season with the Nats, Scherzer faced New York four times and his lone win was pretty spectacular. On Oct. 3 at Citi Field, Max tossed his second no-hitter fanning 17 Mets along the way. Over 29.2 innings against New York in 2015, Scherzer struck out 41.
QUICK PICK
A spectacular pitching duel headlines the opener of this series between NL East rivals many consider to be at the top of the standings. New York stumbled at the end of its NL West road trip, getting shut out by the Dodgers in the final game of that series before managing to score just nine runs while getting swept by the Rockies. The offensive woes will likely continue against Scherzer, who got an extra day of rest after his 119-pitch performance.
The Mets will have a lethal stick in their lineup with Syndergaard on the bump. He homered twice and drove in all four Mets runs the last time they won a game. But even Thor’s presence at the plate won’t be enough to deter Scherzer, who shuts down the Mets for a Washington victory.
MLB Odds: Washington 3, New York 2
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Washington Nationals and New York Mets is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17, 2016, at 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
