Series Preview: Nationals vs. Mets (07/01 ~ 07/04)

New York Mets (44-34) @ Washington Nationals (33-45)
	Nationals Park

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Thursday, July 1st, 7:05 PM EDT Nationals Park

Johan Santana, LHP (5-5, 3.55)

Livan Hernandez, RHP (6-4, 3.10)

Scouting Report:

METS: Santana's lack of velocity is beginning to catch up to him. For the first time since 2004, he has allowed at least four earned runs in four consecutive starts, last week giving up five in a loss to the Twins. He also gave up five in his lone start vs. the Nats this season.

NATIONALS: Hernandez is coming off one of his worst starts of the season, a 6-5 loss to the Orioles on Saturday. In that outing, Hernandez allowed five runs on 11 hits in six innings. He has faced the Mets more than any team in his career — 34 times — going 12-13 with a 4.38 ERA.

Friday, July 2nd, 7:05 PM EDT Nationals Park

Jon Niese, LHP (5-2, 3.84)

Luis Atilano, RHP (6-4, 4.33)

Scouting Report:

METS: Coming off his second-worst start of the season, Niese rebounded to shut out the Twins over six innings last weekend. Relying on his cutter-curve combination, Niese struck out five and walked three. As for his worst start this year? That came against the Nats on May 11.

NATIONALS: In his last start, Atilano earned a no-decision in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles on Sunday. He gave up three runs on five hits in seven innings. Miguel Tejada's RBI single in the eighth was the difference. Atilano is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA against the Mets in his career.

Saturday, July 3rd, 4:10 PM EDT Nationals Park

Robert A Dickey, RHP (6-1, 2.98)

Stephen Strasburg, RHP (2-2, 2.27)

Scouting Report:

METS: In the humidity of San Juan, Puerto Rico last Monday, Dickey suffered his first loss of the season, allowing five runs to the Marlins in five innings. His next outing comes against the Nats, against whom he allowed two runs in six innings of a no-decision on May 19.

NATIONALS: Strasburg will look to bounce back from the worst start of his rookie season. In the Nationals' 5-0 loss to the Braves on Monday, he allowed four runs — three earned — on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Strasburg has never faced the Mets.

Sunday, July 4th, 1:35 PM EDT Nationals Park

Hisanori Takahashi, LHP (6-3, 4.24)

Craig Stammen, RHP (2-2, 5.13)

Scouting Report:

METS: On the day the Mets announced plans for Oliver Perez's rehab assignment, Takahashi — he with the most tenuous grasp on a rotation spot — served up six runs to the Marlins in 5 2/3 innings. Beating the Nationals in his first start against them could tighten his grip.

NATIONALS: Stammen had his sinker working in his return from the Minors, limiting the Braves to five hits over 7 1/3 innings in a 7-2 victory on Tuesday at Atlanta. He struck out four, walked two and got 14 outs on ground balls. He also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Team Leaders

METS			NATIONALS
D Wright	.311	AVG	C Guzman	.295
D Wright	89	HITS	A Dunn	77
D Wright	14	HR	A Dunn	17
D Wright	63	RBI	A Dunn	47
J Reyes	51	RUN	R Zimmerman	45
J Reyes	19	SB	N Morgan	17
D Wright	.392	OBP	J Willingham	.405
D Wright	.549	SLG	A Dunn	.552
P Feliciano	12	HLD	T Clippard	16
F Rodriguez	18	SV	M Capps	22
M Pelfrey	10	WIN	T Clippard	8
M Pelfrey	2.93	ERA	L Hernandez	3.10
J Santana	66	K	T Clippard	54
E Dessens	0.84	WHIP	T Clippard	1.14

Mets Injury Report

Name	Injury	Status
R Barajas	Back spasm	day-to-day
C Beltran	Right knee surgery – out 4-6 weeks	on 60-day DL
L Castillo	Bruised left foot	on 15-day DL
K Escobar	Right shoulder soreness	on 60-day DL
S Green	Strained right rib cage	on 15-day DL
J Maine	Right arm fatigue	on 15-day DL
A Pagan	Muscle spasms	day-to-day
O Perez	Right knee patella tendinitis	on 15-day DL
J Reyes	Back spasm	day-to-day

Nationals Injury Report

Name	Injury	Status
J Flores	Recovery from right shoulder surgery	on 60-day DL
C Maldonado	Fractured left thumb	on 15-day DL
J Marquis	Loose bodies in right elbow	on 15-day DL
G Mock	Cervical spine injury	on 15-day DL
S Olsen	Left shoulder tightness	on 15-day DL
T Walker	Sprained right shoulder AC joint	on 15-day DL
C Wang	Recovery from right shoulder surgery	on 60-day DL
J Zimmermann	Recovery from right elbow surgery	on 60-day DL

Like always,