The Mets continue a critical three-game series against the Nationals on Saturday night at Citi Field at 7:10 PM.
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for New York:
Curtis Granderson – CF
Daniel Murphy – 3B
Yoenis Cespedes – LF
Lucas Duda – 1B
Wilmer Flores – 2B
Kelly Johnson – RF
Travis d’Arnaud – C
Jacob deGrom – RHP
Ruben Tejada – SS
Here is tonight’s pitching matchup:
Jacob deGrom (10-6, 2.05 ERA) will start for the Mets.
Joe Ross (2-3, 3.03 ERA) will start for the Nationals.
Here’s what I am looking for from the Mets on Saturday:
It’s a Cespedes for the rest of us!
After making a splash on Friday with the acquisition of left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, New York’s big bat makes his Mets debut on Saturday night. This team has been in need of offense for so long and finally on Friday, after a couple of smaller acquisitions, they got a legitimate threat in their lineup courtesy of the Tigers. I expect the fans to be juiced, the players to be excited and for Yoenis to have his Cespedes pole (his bat) ready to go.
It’s also deDay of deGrom.
Not only do the Mets have a new face in their lineup but on the mound, they have a face that’s getting more and more recognized throughout the sport. Tonight their ace Jacob deGrom will be on the hill as the Mets have a chance to win the first two games of this ever important series with their division foes. DeGrom has been spectacular all season long and has fared pretty well against the Nationals, too, as he earned the win in his last start against them earlier in July. If there’s one guy I want on the mound in a spot like this, it’s him.
Riding high.
After last night’s dramatic, emotional win courtesy of Wilmer “still-a-Met” Flores, this team is riding high right now. After making the acquisitions of Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, Tyler Clippard and Yoenis Cespedes in addition to facing off against the team they’re chasing in the division, Citi Field had a special kind of buzz last night that we’re not used to. Hopefully they can bottle that emotion and channel it tonight, as an even bigger crowd is expected tonight, they’ll have their new bat in the middle of their lineup and they can clinch a massive series victory.
Just Mets 