Mets Post Game Notes 8/24/18

Friday, August 24, 2018

Washington Nationals (64-65) vs. New York Mets (57-71)

                      1   2  3  4  5  6  7   8  9       R  H  E LOB

Nationals      0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0       0  4  0  4

Mets              1   0  0  0  0  0  0  2  X       3  8  0  6

Win: Jason Vargas (4-8) | Loss: Gio Gonzalez (7-11) | Save: Gsellman (8) | Time: 2:35 | Attendance:23,763

Nationals Home Runs

Player     No.    Pitcher    Inn.   Outs   Count Runners On

None

Mets Home Runs

Player     No.    Pitcher    Inn.   Outs   Count      Runners On

Bruce       4        Collins       8         2          1-1         -2-

METS NOTES

Mets: The Mets are 13-8 in their last 21 games, 13-11 in August and 13-13 in their last 26 home games...Tossed their ninth shutout of the season.

• The Mets lead the season series vs. Washington, 7-6 and have surpassed last season’s win total vs. the Nats (have not won the season series since 2015, when New York went 11-8 against the Nationals)...New York won seven games vs. Washington in 2016.

• The Mets are 25-23 since July 1.

Mets Pitching: Has allowed three or fewer runs in seven straight games...That is the longest streak of its kind since the team did so in seven-straight games from April 22-29, 2016...Additionally, the Mets’ eight-game streak allowing eight or fewer hits is the longest by New York pitching since the Mets did so from July 21-27, 2013.

• Mets starting pitchers have posted a 1.62 ERA (eight earned runs/44.1 innings) in the team’s last seven games beginning with Jacob deGrom’s complete-game effort on August 18.

• Mets relievers have combined to post a collective 2.57 ERA (22 earned runs/77.0 innings) this month.

Jay Bruce (1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R): Went deep in his return from the 10-Day Disabled List...Had been on the DL since June 18 with a sore right hip...Snapped a streak of 104 at-bats without a home run, which was his longest home run drought as a Met...His last home run came on May 7 at Cincinnati.

Jason Vargas (6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K): Tossed a season high-tying 6.0 innings to win his second-straight outing (first time he has won consecutive decisions this season)...Was his longest scoreless outing of the season (third overall)...Was the third time in his career he’s fanned at least eight in a game without issuing a walk (last done April 19 of last season vs. San Francisco).

• In his last three starts, Vargas is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA (four earned runs/17.1 innings).

• Tonight’s eight strikeouts are his most since a nine-strikeout effort in that April 19, 2017 start vs. the Giants.

• Tonight’s outing included six consecutive outs via the strikeout in a seven-batter stretch in the fourth and fifth innings.

• Earned his first career win against Washington and lowered his lifetime ERA against the club to 0.83 (two earned runs/21.2 innings) in six games, including three starts.

Robert Gsellman (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K): Has thrown a career-best 11.2-consecutive scoreless innings and has a 1.10 ERA (two earned runs/16.1 innings) with four saves in 14 games since the All-Star break.

Jeff McNeil (1-3, R, BB, SB): Extended his career-best hitting streak to nine games (16-34, .471)...Has hit safely in each of his last 11 starts and is hitting .408 (20-49) in his last 13 games overall.

• His 11-start hitting streak is tied for the longest by a Mets hitter this season (also, Asdrúbal Cabrera’s 11-start streak from March 31-April 13).

• Has 33 hits through his first 30 career games...That's tied for the fifth-most hits by a Mets player who began his career with New York through career game No. 30.

Seth Lugo (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K): Tossed 2.0 perfect innings.

• His outing tonight was the Mets’ 37th scoreless relief appearance of at least 2.0 innings this season, sixth-most in the majors and fourth-most in the NL.

Wilmer Flores (1-4, RBI): Singled in a run in the first...Has hit safely in seven of his last eight starts against Washington, including six straight...Is hitting .310 (9-29) with a double, home run and three RBI in those games.

•  His first-inning RBI was his team-leading 19th go-ahead RBI of the season.

• Since July 7, has hit .317 (13-41) against lefthanded pitchers...Was hitting .208 (15-72) off southpaws from the start of the season-July 6.

Kevin Plawecki (2-3, 2B): Tallied his 10th multi-hit game of the season tonight.

• Has hit safely in five-straight games against the Nationals...Is hitting .444 (8-18) with a double, one home run, one RBI and three runs scored in those games.

David Wright: Went 1-4 with a single tonight for St. Lucie (A) vs. Fort Myers...He played 9.0 innings at third base...Is hitting .143 (4-28) with an RBI and two walks in nine rehab games.

WASHINGTON NOTES

Nationals: Washington suffered its 13th shutout loss of the season, the second-most such defeats in the NL (third-most in the majors)...Fell to 4-8 since August 12.

• The Nats fell to 6-7 against the Mets this season and 4-4 at Citi Field.

Gio Gonzalez (7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R/1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K): Lowered his lifetime ERA against the Mets to 2.83 ERA (49 earned runs/156.0 innings) in 26 career starts...Took his second-career loss at Citi Field despite lowering his ERA at the Mets’ ballpark to 1.75 (21 earned runs/108.0 innings) at Citi Field...His 1.75 ERA at the Mets’ ballpark is the lowest since its opening in 2009 (min. 100.0 innings).

• Was his fifth start of the season of at least 7.0 innings with no more than one run allowed.

Upcoming Pitching vs. Washington

Sat., Aug. 25  RHP Tanner Roark (8-12, 4.05) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (8-6, 3.63)         4:05 p.m. (SNY, FS1, WOR 710 AM, 104.3 FM HD, ESPN 1050 AM)

Sun., Aug. 26 RHP Jefry Rodriguez (1-1, 5.46) vs. LHP Steven Matz (5-10, 4.55)     1:10 p.m. (SNY, WOR 710 AM, 104.3 FM HD, ESPN 1050 AM)