NEW YORK METS NOTES:
METSCELLANEOUS: The Mets enjoyed labor day off yesterday…On Sunday the team defeated the Seattle Mariners, 6-3, at Citi Field…The Mets finished a 10-day, nine-game homestand (4-5) against the Angels (1-2), Rangers (1-2) and Mariners (2-1)…Tonight, the Mets start a five-game, six-day, road trip against Washington (two games) and Minnesota (three games).
THE EAST IS A BEAST: The Mets are 18-19 against the NL East this season…The team has posted a 4.69 ERA and are slashing .239/.324/.383. ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Mets head out for their penultimate road trip of the season…New York has 11 road games remaining in the 2023 campaign…New York has posted a 28-41 record on the road with a 4.83 ERA.
47′ BRAND: In 47 games following the All-Star break, Jeff McNeil is batting .299 (56-187) with 27 runs, nine doubles, two triples, four home runs, 23 RBI and eight walks with a .343 OBP…In 89 games before the break, McNeil slashed .253/.331/.328 with three home runs and 26 RBI…He has recorded a hit in 15 of his last 17 games, batting .347 (25-72) in the span with an .893 OPS.
MULTIPLICITY: On Sunday, Pete Alonso recorded his 19th career multi-homer game and the fifth of the season…His five multi-homer games are tied for the third-most in the majors and tied for the fourth-most by a Met in a single season…Dave Kingman (1976), Carlos Delgado (2008) and Lucas Duda (2015) recorded seven multi-homer games in a single-season…Frank Thomas (1962), Bobby Bonilla (1993) and Carlos Beltrán (2007) also recorded a season with five multi-homer games.
THIS IS 40: On Sunday, Pete Alonso recorded his third season with 40 or more home runs…He became the fifth player in major league history with three or more seasons of 40 or more homers in their first five years, joining Ralph Kiner (four), Ryan Howard (three), Albert Pujols (three) and Eddie Mathews (three)… He is the only player in franchise history with multiple seasons of 40 or more home runs…He is third in the majors and second in the National League with 41 home runs…Alonso’s 187 home runs since he entered the league in 2019 are the most in the major leagues.
💯: Pete Alonso became the fourth player in Mets history to record three or more seasons with 100 or more RBI…He has previously recorded two seasons with 100 RBI (120 in 2019 and 131 in 2022)…David Wright is the franchise leader with five such seasons…Carlos Beltrán and Darryl Strawberry also recorded three seasons each…Alonso’s 480 RBI since he entered the league in 2019 are the most in the major leagues…He is second in the majors and in the NL with 100 RBI.
DINGERS!: The Mets have socked 180 home runs this season…That is the fifth-most in the National League…The 2022 Mets hit 171 home runs…The team’s 180 home runs are the ninth-most in a single season in franchise history.
CONNECT FOUR: The Mets now feature for players who have hit 20 or more home runs this season: Pete Alonso, Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo…The 2023 Mets are one of five teams in franchise history to accomplish this feat…This includes the 2019 Mets who featured a franchise-high five players who recorded at least 20 home runs.
GOT TO GO TO MO’S: Ronny Mauricio is batting .455 (5-11) with one run, one double and two steals in his first three career games…The last player to open his career with a four-game hitting streak is Pete Alonso who did so in 2019… The franchise record is seven straight games with a hit, accomplished by Daniel Murphy in 2009 and Keith Miller in 1987.
25/25: Francisco Lindor became the fifth player in franchise history to recorded 25 doubles, 25 homers and 25 steals in a single season…He joined Darryl Strawberry (1984, 1986, 1987, 1988), Howard Johnson (1989, 1991), David Wright (2007) and Carlos Beltrán (2008)…He joined Jimmy Rollins and Hanley Ramírez as the only shortstops in major league history with multiple seasons of 25 homers, 25 doubles and 25 stolen bases
I DECLARE fWAR: Francisco Lindor ranks seventh in the majors and fourth in the National League with a 5.2 fWAR…Since he joined the Mets, Lindor has posted a 16.1 fWAR…Only Freddie Freeman (18.9), Mookie Betts (18.1) and Trea Turner (16.3) have posted a higher mark in the Senior Circuit…His 16.1 fWAR since 2021 is sixth in the majors in that span.
LINSANITY: Over his last 66 games, Francisco Lindor is batting .289 (71-246) with 51 runs, 12 doubles, two triples, 32 home runs, 37 RBI, 30 walks, 19 steals with a .375 OBP, a .512 SLG and an .887 OPS…Lindor has stolen a career-high-tying 25 bases in 133 games this season.
I DON’T WANT TO ROCK, DJ: Over his last 16 games, DJ Stewart is batting .333 (19-57) with 10 runs, three doubles, nine home runs, 18 RBI and a 1.247 OPS… In 39 games this year, Stewart is batting .265 (26-98) with 13 runs, five doubles, 10 home runs, 21 RBI, 10 walks, a .348 OBP and a .622 SLG…Stewart recorded a career-high 12 home runs in 100 games with Baltimore in 2021.
INVADER NIM: Brandon Nimmo has hit a career-best 20 home runs this season…He joined Curtis Granderson (2015), Tommie Agee (1969, 1970) and Michael Conforto (2017) as the only Mets to have 20 or more HR in the leadoff spot…Nimmo Is the first Mets outfielder with 20 or more homers since 2019… He is batting .279 (48-172) with 11 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 13 RBI, 12 walks with a .344 OBP against left-handed pitchers this year.
SENGA GENESIS: Kodai Senga has recorded 176 strikeouts…He moved into third all-time for most strikeouts by a Mets rookie pitcher passing Noah Syndergaard (166), Jon Matlack (169) and Tom Seaver (170)…He is now three strikeouts shy of passing Jerry Koosman for second all-time for most strikeouts by a Mets rookie…Last night marked the first time a Mets rookie pitcher recorded backto-back double-digit strikeout games since Noah Synderagaard did the trick from September 25 – October 3, 2015…Is the first Japanese-born rookie to accomplish the feat since Masahiro Tanaka did so from June 11 – 17, 2014… Courtesy of Elias.
STARTING PITCHER – JOSÉ QUINTANA LHP #62
2023 STATS: 1-5, 3.26 ERA
RECENTLY: Quintana made his first start with the Mets on July 20 against his former team, the Chicago White Sox….Quintana signed a two-year contract with New York on December 9, 2022…The southpaw began the season on the IL due to a stress fracture in his rib cage…Underwent surgery on March 17.
LAST TIME OUT: Quintana made his eighth start of the season on August 29 against the Rangers at Citi Field…He threw 6.0 scoreless innings and allowed five hits and three walks while striking out five batters…Was his first time allowing no runs this season…The lefty has recorded six quality starts through his first night starts as a member of the Mets.
REHAB ASSIGNMENT RECAP: Made five appearances across St. Lucie (A), Binghamton (AA) and Syracuse (AAA) as part of his rehab assignment after being placed on the 60-day IL with a left rib fracture…Threw 15.2 innings in five games, four of which were starts, pitching to a 4.60 ERA (8 ER/15.2 IP) while tallying 16 strikeouts compared to eight walks.
NATIONAL TREASURE: Today, Quintana will make his fifth career start against the Nationals…Quintana last faced Washington on September 6, 2022 at Busch Stadium with the Cardinals and earned the win…In Quintana’s lone start at Nationals Park, June 28, 2022 with Pittsburgh, the southpaw allowed one run over 6.0 innings.
HOT STREAK: Quintana’s homerless inning streak came to an end at 97.1 innings in his start on August 12 at St. Louis after allowing a solo homer to Tyler O’Neill to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning…The last pitcher before Quintana to reach 90.0+ homerless innings was Tyson Ross (100.0 IP) in 2015…Courtesy of Elias…Last season Quintana owned the lowest ERA (0.89) in Major League Baseball during the month of September last year and is the lowest ERA in any month in his career.
LEFT ‘EM SPEECHLESS: Reached 1,500 career strikeouts in his start vs. Colorado on August 16, 2022. Currently ranks fifth among active MLB lefties in strikeouts (1,567) behind Clayton Kershaw (2,927), Chris Sale (2,165), Madison Bumgarner (2,070) and Patrick Corbin (1,575).
WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
OPPONENT NEW YORK METS
The Nationals and Mets will play 13 times in 2023 (6 in D.C., 7 in N.Y.)…Bench coach Tim Bogar, assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler, first base coach Eric Young Jr., third base coach Gary DiSarcina, bullpen coach Ricky Bones and catching/strategy coach Henry Blanco all spent time with the Mets as a player, coach or both…Dom Smith spent 2017- 2022 in the Major Leagues with the Mets after they drafted him in the first round of 2013…Trevor Williams went 3-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 40 games (12 starts) in two seasons (2021-22) with New York… Joe La Sorsa is from Mount Kisco, NY and attended St. John’s University…Travis Blankenhorn appeared in one game for the Mets in 2022.
MEET THE METS
The Washington Nationals take on the New York Mets in their final series of the 2023 season starting Tuesday night…With a sweep, the Nationals will claim their first season series over the Mets since 2020 when they went 6-5. The Nationals are 16-8 (.696) at home since July 8, tied for the second-best home record in Major League Baseball. Following this series, the Nationals will enjoy yet another day off on Thursday before welcoming the Los Angeles Dodgers to Nationals Park for a weekend series starting on Friday.
LANE TRAIN
Lane Thomas enters tonight having homered in three straight games for the first time in his career…The longest home run streak in Nationals history is four games, done four times (Last: Bryce Harper, April 14-17, 2016). Thomas is 7-for-13 (.538) with three homers, five RBI and three runs scored over his last three games. Thomas ranks in the National League in hits (5th, 153), doubles (T7th, 32), total bases (T6th, 260), runs (8th, 91), batting average (9th, .285) and extra-base hits (T9th, 58). He leads Major League Baseball with a career-high 15 outfield assists…His 15 outfield assists rank second in Nationals history (2005-pres.) behind Alfonso Soriano (22 in 2006). With three more stolen bases, he would record the sixth 20 home run – 20 stolen base season in Nationals History (2005-pres.) and the first since 2016.
BORN TO RUN
CJ Abrams has 27 stolen bases since moving to the leadoff spot on July 7, the most in Major League Baseball ahead of Ronald Acuña Jr. (22)…On the season, he ranks third in the National League with 38 stolen bases. Abrams hit his 15th homer of the season on Friday, becoming the 15th shortstop in National League history to record 15 home runs and 35 stolen bases in a season…He is the first National League shortstop to record 15 home runs and 35 stolen bases in a season since Trea Turner in 2019.
BULLPENNING
Some notes on a few of Washington’s relievers: Jose A. Ferrer has issued just one walk with nine strikeouts and a .178 opponents’ average (8-for-45) over his last 13 outings (13.0 IP)…This comes after walking nine batters in his first 15 games (13.1 IP) of the season…Opposing left-handed batters are 0-for-11 in his last seven outings and 3-for-27 (.111) in his last 18 outings. Since returning from the Injured List on Aug. 15, Hunter Harvey has a 0.87 ERA (1 ER/10.1 IP), 12 strikeouts, one walk and a .143 opponents’ average (5-for-35)…He ranks third among Major League relievers with a 0.91 WHIP this season (min. 50.0 IP).
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
Jacob Young had his contract selected on Aug. 26 and after making his Major League debut that night as a pinch runner (and scoring the game-tying run) has started every game since Aug. 27. Young has reached base safely in all eight games (6 H, 3 BB) and has hit safely in six straight.
WINNING WAYS
Since July 8, Washington is 28-22 (.560), tied for the fifth-best record in the National League. The Nationals completed the month of August with a 17-11
record, their first winning month since June 2021 (19-9).
START ME UP
The Nationals have used just seven starting pitchers this season, tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for fewest in MLB…Washington is also the only team in baseball to have five pitchers make 20 or more starts…The fewest number of starting pitchers the Nationals (2005-pres.) have ever used in a season is eight (2012, 2014)…Washington matched a team record last season with 15.
STARTING PITCHER – #46 PATRICK CORBIN
Left-handed pitcher signed a six-year contract with the Nationals on Dec. 7, 2018…Was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series…Is a two-time National League All-Star (2018, 2013)… Has started at least 30 games for five consecutive full seasons (2017-19, 2021-22), joining Gerrit Cole as the only pitchers since 2017 to accomplish the feat.
LAST START
Worked 5.0 innings, allowed six earned runs on 10 hits, walked one and struck out five batters on August 30 against Toronto…He took the loss in the Nationals’ 7-0 defeat.
vs. NEW YORK (NL)
Faces the Mets for the third time this season…Corbin is 2-0 with an 4.63 ERA (6 ER/ 11.2 IP) in his previous two appearances against New York (NL).
RECENCY BIAS
Corbin is 5-3 with a 4.45 ERA (32 ER/64.2 IP), 52 strikeouts and 19 walks over his last 11 starts…Over his last five starts, he is 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA (13 ER/ 28.1 IP) with 12 walks and 22 strikeouts…He tossed 7.0 shutout innings on June 28 at Seattle (9 SO, 0 BB) and 7.0 innings of one-run ball on July 9 vs. Texas.
GLOVE WORK
Corbin leads Major League Baseball pitchers seven pickoffs and tied for the League lead with 25 assists…His seven pickoffs are a career-high.
1,500 STRIKEOUTS
With a strikeout of Jonathan Schoop on May 20 vs. Detroit, Corbin recorded his 1,500th career strikeout…He became the fourth Nationals pitcher to record 1,500 strikeouts in a Nationals uniform, joining Stephen Strasburg (2019), Gio González(2017) and Max Scherzer (2015) per the Elias Sports Bureau. Corbin ranks 17th among active pitchers with 1,575 strikeouts, behind Carlos Carrasco (1,573)…He is one of 231 players in baseball history with at least 1,500 strikeouts.
APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, FELLAS
Since joining the Nationals in 2019, Corbin is 34-3 with a 2.70 ERA in 42 starts when he throws at least 6.0 innings and receives at least three runs of support…
The Nationals are 39-3 in those games.
