A three game series pinning the top two teams in the NL East against each other will come to a close on Wednesday as the Washington Nationals (49-41, -$80) host the New York Mets (48-44, $373).
ODDS ANALYSIS
Coming into the series, the Nationals have beaten the Mets three of the last four times, but the Mets were the ones that took the only series these two teams have played in the Nation’s Capital this season.
Both teams began the second half with a losing series, though the Mets may have emotions running high after a narrow 3-1 victory over the major’s best St. Louis Cardinals in 18 innings on Sunday. The Nationals, on the other hand, have lost back-to-back games.
While the momentum swing of such a trying win for the Mets should help them, all those extra innings could cause them some issues as the bullpen is likely to be tired along with the position players, some of which received 10 at bats in the game.
Add in the Nat’s 26-18 home record and the Mets’ 16-30 record on the road and things are already starting to lean to the division leading Nationals.
PITCHING MATCHUP
This whole series figures to be filled with great pitching matchups, but none better than the series finale which will pin rookie right-hander Noah Syndergaard against the now veteran righty Jordan Zimmermann.
Syndergaard has pitched great since his promotion as the 22-year old is just 4-5, but has a 3.05 ERA and 1.086 WHIP in 73 2/3 innings of work. His command has been very good with 5.2 strikeouts per walk and he’s actually pitched better than his ERA would suggest according to FIP which puts him at 2.69.
Over the youngsters’ last four games, he’s allowed just five runs in 29 innings of work.
On the other side, Zimmermann has pitched to a 1.99 ERA and 3-0 record over his last five games and is having another strong year. He struggled a bit out of the gate, but has rebounded to put up a 8-5 record with a 3.27 ERA and 1.245 WHIP in his 115 2/3 innings of work spread over 19 starts.
Zimmermann has only faced the Mets’ once this year, in his first start, where he went six innings allowing just one run. Overall, he is 8-5 in 21 career games against the Mets with a 2.91 ERA and 1.148 WHIP.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Following their 18 inning win, Mets’ manager Terry Collins had this to say about his team:
“We’ve had some extra-inning games, but nothing quite like that one. I’m really proud of the way they hung in there. I really am. It’s hot, they’re exhausted. We were out of players, out of pitching, and they just kept battling against a very, very good club.”
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
While the Mets got the win on Sunday, they only scored three runs in 18 innings which just goes to emphasize how weak their offense really is.
The Mets and Cardinals combined to go just 1 for 34 with runners in scoring position, stranding 39 runners.
On the year, the Mets have scored fewer runs than any other National League team, plating just 317, eight fewer than the lowly Phillies.
In fact, the Nationals’ have held the Mets scoreless in each of their last two meetings before this series. On top of that, New York hasn’t plated more than four runs in any of their last nine games.
With David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud out, the team is getting very little at the plate at third or catcher with Eric Campbell and Kevin Plawecki putting up .572 and .603 OPS numbers respectively.
Sadly, those two spots are not the lone trouble spots for the team. The team has just one player with an average over .255 and that is Daniel Murphy at a meager .268. As far as overall production, only Lucas Duda (110) and Curtis Granderson (116) have an OPS+ over 100.
The Nationals have offensive concerns of their own with a number of key injuries that include Ryan Zimmerman, Denard Span, Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth. Of course, unlike the Mets, the Nats do have a key player in the heart of their order that is producing.
Bryce Harper is currently hitting .337 with a 1.167 OPS and 27 home runs and is the main reason Washington has scored 62 more runs than the Mets despite their injuries.
PROP TALK
With a couple good pitchers on the hill, it’s hard to bank on any batter in this game. Interestingly, however, the one batter that’s found quite a bit of success against Zimmermann is Daniel Murphy.
The Mets’ second baseman is hitting .321 against him in 53 at bats and also has three of his team’s five home runs against him while driving in eight runs and posting a .918 OPS.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Murphy’s success against Zimmermann is really the only edge the Mets have in this game. Syndergaard should keep New York in it, but Zimmermann has been pitching as well as anyone over his last five starts.
The Nationals also have Harper, giving them the better offense. In the pen, they also have Drew Storen who has a 1.83 ERA and 28 saves.
Washington 4, New York 2
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
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 New York Mets and Washington Nationals is scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2015, at 12:35 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
