Mets riding high into home opener against Nationals


The final 151 games of last season proved to the New York Mets they can not jump to conclusions over a small sample size in March and April. The first five games of this season were enough to convince the Washington Nationals it is not too early to begin expressing concern over their early level of play.

A pair of teams expected to battle for the National League East championship this season will square off Thursday afternoon, when the Mets host the Nationals in New York’s home opener.

Both teams traveled to New York off victories Wednesday. The Nationals earned a split of a two-game series by overcoming a two-run eighth-inning deficit to edge the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 9-8 on a walk-off bases loaded walk to rookie Jake Noll.

The Mets completed a sweep of the host Miami Marlins thanks to reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, who earned the win by striking out a career-high 14 over seven scoreless innings and added a homer for good measure in New York’s 6-4 victory.

The Mets’ Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 6.00 ERA) is scheduled to oppose the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg (0-0, 6.00 ERA) in a rematch of right-handers who faced each other last Saturday in Washington, D.C. Both pitchers allowed four runs over six innings in their season debuts, with neither involved in the decision during the Mets’ 11-8 victory.

The Nationals will hope to support Strasburg with better fundamentals and better relief pitching than has been displayed in the first week of the season.

On Wednesday, Washington relievers Tony Sipp, Trevor Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough combined to blow a 6-4 advantage in the seventh, when the Phillies scored four runs. The trio has combined for a 24.75 ERA in five innings this season – a stretch in which Rosenthal has allowed seven runs without recording an out.

In addition, Victor Robles ran into an out in the fourth and failed to put down a bunt in the sixth, the same inning in which Wilmer Difo was picked off second base. Robles has made three outs on the basepaths this season.

“We’ll take the win, but we have a lot to improve on,” Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton said following the win. “And I think it shows.”

The urgency to shore up the fundamentals and patch the holes in the bullpen grew earlier Wednesday, when general manager Mike Rizzo announced star shortstop Trea Turner would be sidelined an indefinite period of time with a broken right index finger suffered when he was hit by a pitch while trying to bunt in the first inning of Tuesday’s game against the Phillies.

The Nationals are expected to receive at least one reinforcement Thursday, when utilityman Howie Kendrick is scheduled to be activated from the injured list. Washington made room for Kendrick by optioning Noll to Triple-A Fresno following his walk-off RBI.

There are also areas of concern within the bullpen for the Mets, who are 5-1 for the second straight season but had to sweat out the late innings of each win over the Marlins. Closer Edwin Diaz loaded the bases in a non-save situation in Monday’s 7-3 victory and New York nearly frittered away a five-run lead in Tuesday’s 6-5 win and a six-run lead on Wednesday night, when the Marlins scored four runs in the ninth before Diaz earned the save by recording the final out.

The Mets didn’t need some late-inning issues to be reminded what can go wrong during and following a solid start. New York won 11 of its first 12 games last season but ended up finishing fourth in the NL East with a 77-85 record.

Even with the near-misses against the Marlins, though, the Mets will carry plenty of momentum into the home opener. While deGrom – who has struck out 24 over 13 scoreless innings in two starts – is the main attraction, New York heads north with the type of youthful spark rarely seen at Citi Field.

Rookie first baseman Pete Alonso is hitting .409 with seven RBIs in his first six big league games. Third-year shortstop Amed Rosario has five RBIs and a stolen base while second-year utilityman Jeff McNeil is hitting .400 in 15 at-bats and already has a four-hit game.

“It’s going to be my first game at Citi Field,” Alonso said Wednesday. “It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere. It’s an exciting time for us and I can’t wait.”

Syndergaard is 3-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 13 career starts against the Nationals. Strasburg is 8-5 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts against the Mets.