The Mets continue their four-game series with the Nationals tonight at 7:10 PM at Citi Field.
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for New York:
John Mayberry Jr. – RF
Juan Lagares – CF
Lucas Duda – 1B
Michael Cuddyer – LF
Daniel Murphy – 3B
Dilson Herrera – 2B
Ruben Tejada – SS
Anthony Recker – C
Jonathon Niese – LHP
Here are three things I’m looking for tonight:
Keep the momentum going.
The Mets are coming off an exciting and electric win on Friday night after losing five of the previous seven games. The Mets can gain an edge in this series with a victory tonight and ensure at least a split against an improving Nationals team. But most important is they play a crisp game, make the plays behind Jon Niese, who is a groundball pitcher, and keep the momentum going in front of the home crowd.
Niese needs to bounce back.
He really struggled at Yankee Stadium last Sunday, although the defense did him no favors that night. He struggled with his arm slot, his pitches were flat and he didn’t use his curveball hardly at all in that game, and he got shelled. Interestingly enough, he’s using his change-up a lot early in the year, but when he’s at his best, he has an even mix of his fastball and curveball going. Perhaps that will be the case tonight.
Righty heavy lineup, good matchups against Gio Gonzalez.
The Mets are playing the matchups tonight with John Mayberry Jr. at the top of the lineup, and featuring a mostly heavy right-handed lineup against the tough southpaw. He has struggled and the matchups are in the Mets favor, so hopefully the Mets can pounce on him early and not let him find himself at any point during this game.
Just Mets 