The New York Mets will close out their disappointing season vs. Washington, weather permitting.
The New York Mets are hoping to finish off what’s been a disappointing season with a win against the Washington Nationals, and they’ll send Sean Manaea to the mound to try to get it done. Their series with Washington currently stands at 1-1, with the Mets bouncing back on Saturday to get a 7-1 win after losing the series opener
It’s been a strange season for Manaea. He failed early and struggled with velocity issues, then rebuilt his repertoire during a bullpen stint as a reliever and long man. He's submitted some strong starts here and there, but most of what Manaea put on the mound was about average, and some of it was much worse.
His last start against the Texas Rangers was reasonably good, as Manaea gave up three runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks to go with nine strikeouts. The high number of K’s was unusual, and the Mets were able to come away with a 6-3 win.
His start before that against the Baltimore Orioles was also strong, as he gave up two runs on four hits in 5-1/3 innings, but former Mets first baseman Pete Alonso ruined that one with a ninth-inning homer to send the game to extra innings in a contest the Orioles eventually won.
Manaea’s numbers for the season will be something close to his current ERA of 4.67, with a WHIP of 1.30 and a record of 6-7. He’ll have a role next season in the back of the Mets rotation, mostly, but that’s mostly because of his massive contract, which calls for a payout of $25 million.
Washington will counter with DJ Herz, who will be making just his second start of the season as the 25-year old lefty continues on the road back from Tommy John surgery back in April of 2025.
Herz took the loss in that start against the Detroit Tigers, as he gave up four runs in four innings on five hits to go with a pair of walks and four strikeouts.
The Mets probably won’t have much trouble getting into the Nationals bullpen, which has been awful this year, but New York will finish in the NL East basement regardless, with Washington coming into this one with a two-game lead.
The weather may play a role in whether this game even gets played, as a Nor’easter is currently making the rounds in DC and wreaking havoc on the MLB schedule.
