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The New York Mets will host the Washington Nationals on Tuesday (October 4) night in the second game of their day-night MLB doubleheader.
The Mets were swept by the Braves last weekend, bringing their record down to 98-61 on the season. Meanwhile, the Nationals are 55-104 on the year after losing on Sunday to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Mets fans have to be disappointed, as their team was recently overtaken by the Braves after leading the NL East division all year. They're now 1.5 games back and have a slim chance of reclaiming the division lead, but they'll likely need to win out and need the Braves to lose a game or two.
New York has been excellent at home this season entering Tuesday, with an impressive 51-27 record at Citi Field. Washington, meanwhile, has been abysmal away from home, holding just a 29-49 away record this year.
Carlos Carrasco was initially supposed to start Game 1 but will take the mound for the Mets in Game 2. He's 15-7 with a 3.95 ERA in 28 starts on the season. Washington's lineup, that scores the fifth fewest runs per game, isn't very deep and shouldn't be too difficult to handle for him.
In his last outing, Carrasco tossed three innings, surrendering six hits and four earned runs in the loss against the Miami Marlins. The New York right-hander has had some consistency issues, but he has been slightly better in his home stadium, sporting a 3.52 ERA.
Carrasco was let down by the Mets' defense the last time he faced Washington, giving up five runs, but only one of them was earned. The Mets went on to lose that contest 7-1, but today, they'll want to take care of business against their last-placed opponents.
Washington's Paolo Espino gets the nod on Tuesday night. He's gone 0-8 with a 4.30 ERA, and he'll be making his 19th start. Espino is still searching for his first win, despite having pitched 113 frames this year.
As a starter, Espino has a 5.08 ERA, but lately the right-hander has been slightly better, holding a 4.26 ERA in his previous four starts. He pitched pretty well against the Mets last year. While he hasn't faced them this season, expect the hosts to make Espino work from the first inning on.
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Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Match Details
Fixture: Washington Nationals @ New York Mets
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 4; 7:10 pm EDT
Venue: Citi Field, Flushing, New York
Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Betting Odds
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Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Betting Prediction
This is a game the Mets need to take to massively increase their World Series aspirations. If they're forced to go through the wildcard round, it'll make their path to a championship much more difficult.
Look for the Mets offense to show up against what could be a depleted bullpen. Also, expect for the Washington Nationals to contribute to the total too, as Carrasco has been hittable at times this year.
Prediction: Over 7 (-125)
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