<
        >

          New York Mets

          Series preview: Mets vs. Nationals

          Daniel Murphy leads the National League in batting average but missed out on the starting spot at second base in the All-Star Game. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
          • Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff WriterJul 7, 2016, 01:55 AM
            Close
              Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.
              Follow Adam on Twitter »  Chat archive »
            Follow on X

          NEW YORK METS (46-38, second place/NL East) vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS (51-35, first place/NL East)

          Thursday: RHP Bartolo Colon (7-4, 2.87) vs. RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 0.00), 7:10 p.m. ET

          Friday: RHP Noah Syndergaard (9-3, 2.41) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (11-0, 2.71), 7:10 p.m. ET

          Saturday: RHP Logan Verrett (3-5, 4.01) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (9-6, 3.21), 7:15 p.m. ET

          Sunday: LHP Steven Matz (7-4, 3.34) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (4-8, 4.79), 1:10 p.m. ET

          NATIONALS SHORT HOPS

          • Giolito made his major league debut against the Mets last Tuesday in Washington. He allowed one hit and two walks in four scoreless innings and departed after an 85-minute rain delay. Giolito debuted filling in for Strasburg. He now gets another chance with Joe Ross landing on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.

          • Closer Jonathan Papelbon returned from the disabled list on Monday after a rehab assignment for a strained intercostal muscle on his right side. Outfielder Michael A. Taylor, who was in a 2-for-22 rut that dropped his average to .225, was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Taylor had struck out 64 times in 191 at-bats. The Nats currently are playing with a four-man bench and extra bullpen arm. Shawn Kelley, who had been serving as the closer in Papelbon’s absence, returns to an eighth-inning role.

          • Daniel Murphy lost out on the starting nod at second base for the National League All-Stars by only 88 votes to Chicago’s Ben Zobrist. The duo combined to receive more than 6 million votes. Murphy nonetheless is one of four Nationals players headed to San Diego for Tuesday’s spectacle. He will be joined by Bryce Harper, Wilson Ramos and Strasburg. Murphy (.345) and Ramos (.335) own the league’s top two batting averages. Murphy has tormented the Mets since signing a three-year, $37.5 million contract with Washington during the offseason. He is hitting .429 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 35 at-bats against his former employer.

          • Strasburg tossed 6 2/3 no-hit innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in his return from the DL and departed with his pitch count at 109 and the bid intact. The Reds recorded their first hit on Ramon Cabrera’s leadoff single in the eighth against Matt Belisle. Strasburg nonetheless improved to 11-0. The last pitcher to open a season with 12 straight wins? Scherzer, who began 2013 with a 13-0 record for the Detroit Tigers, his final season before joining the Nationals.

          • Shortstop Danny Espinosa is the reigning NL Player of the Week. He hit .423 (11-for-26) with two doubles, five homers and 17 RBIs for the seven-day span through Sunday. A switch-hitter, he homered from both sides of the plate last Thursday and Sunday.

          METS SHORT HOPS

          • Harvey landed on the DL on Wednesday with shoulder discomfort. He is due to be examined by Dr. Robert Thompson, a thoracic outlet syndrome specialist, on Thursday in St. Louis. While unannounced, Verrett is the logical choice to fill in with Saturday’s start.

          • After going 0-for-4 in his Mets debut, Jose Reyes doubled twice in his second game with the club on Wednesday. He has been installed as the leadoff hitter, with Curtis Granderson sliding to second.

          • Wilmer Flores, whose playing time is expected to dip with Reyes’ arrival, has produced a pair of two-homer games in a four-day span. He took Marlins left-hander Justin Nicolino deep twice Wednesday. On Sunday, Flores went 6-for-6 to match Edgardo Alfonzo’s franchise record for hits in a game.

          • First-time All-Star Jeurys Familia improved to 30-for-30 in save chances on Wednesday. He became the 15th player in MLB history to reach 30 saves before the break. The last were Jim Johnson (33), Joe Nathan (30) and Mariano Rivera (30) during the 2013 season. The 30 saves before the All-Star break are a Mets record. Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes also will represent the Mets in San Diego on Tuesday.