The New York Mets will host the Washington Nationals on Tuesday (October 4) afternoon for the first game of the 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 Sunday's contest to the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Mets were overtaken by the Braves after leading the NL East division all year. They're 1.5 games back now and have a slim chance of reclaiming the division lead, but they'll likely need to win out.
New York has been excellent at home this season, with an impressive 51-27 record at Citi Field, while Washington has been abysmal away from home, holding just a 29-49 away record this year. The Nationals surprisingly won their last series against the Mets here at Citi Field, so it remains to be seen if they can put up a fight once again in the series.
Carlos Carrasco will take the mound Tuesday for the Mets. 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.
Last outing, Carrasco tossed three innings, surrendering six hits and four earned runs in a loss versus 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 in Flushing.
Carrasco was let down by the Mets defense the last time he faced Washington, giving up five runs, but only one of those was earned. The Mets went on to lose that contest 7-1, but today they'll look to start the series off on the right note behind Carrasco.
Washington will send out hurler Corey Abbott, who is 0-4 with a 5.11 ERA. The Nationals right-hander averages under five innings per start, but he did shut down the Mets lineup in August. In that outing, he tossed five scoreless frames, but given his 7.50 ERA in his last three starts, it might be difficult to replicate that performance.
$1,000 Risk-Free Bet for all new BetMGM players here
Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Match Details
Fixture: Washington Nationals @ New York Mets
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 4; 4:10 pm EDT
Venue: Citi Field, Flushing, New York
Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Betting Odds
Get your first bet risk-free (up to $500) when you join PointsBet here
Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Betting Prediction
The Mets need to shake off their disappointing series in Atlanta, and they'll be glad to be back home against the worst team in the majors. Expect the bats to get going against Abbott, who has allowed four earned runs in his last two starts.