NEW YORK METS NOTES:
No team release available.
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… Travis Blankenhorn appeared in one game for the Mets in 2022.
MOVING ON
The Washington Nationals take on the New York Mets in their final matchup of the 2023 season on Wednesday night.
- 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.
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 nine games (.353 OBP, 8 H, 4 BB), a Nationals (2005-pres.) record for consecutive games reaching base as a starter to begin a career…He has hit safely in seven straight… He is 8-for-24 (.333) with three doubles, three RBI, two walks, two stolen bases and three runs scored during the streak.
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).
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.
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 (7th, 260), runs (T8th, 91), batting average (9th, .285) and extra-base hits (10th, 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.
SAVING GRACE
Kyle Finnegan ranks seventh in the National League with a career-high 25 saves this season. He has 14 saves, five holds and has pitched to a 1.95 ERA (8 ER/37.0 IP) with a .202 opponents’ average in his last 34 appearances.
RUIZ IS RAKING
Keibert Ruiz leads National League catchers in average (.314), slugging percentage (.506) and is second in on-base percentage (.372) since July 9. He ranks seventh in the National League with a .363 average with runners in scoring position.
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 one of only three teams in baseball to have five pitchers make 20 or more starts (Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers)…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 – #60 JOAN ADON
Right-hander climbed to the No. 7 prospect in Washington’s system per Baseball America entering the 2022 season…Began his professional career as a reliever but converted to the starting rotation for the 2019 season…In 2021, became the 21st pitcher drafted/signed and developed by the Nationals (2005-pres.)… Did not start playing baseball until he was 14 years old.
LAST START
Allowed five earned runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out three in 5.0 innings on August 31 against Miami…He took his first loss of the season in the Nationals’ 6-1 defeat.
vs. NEW YORK (NL)
Faces the Mets for the first time this season…Adon is 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA (7 ER/ 8.0 IP) with five strikeouts in two career starts against New York (NL).
AS A STARTER
Adon has allowed three earned runs or fewer in three of his five starts this season…He has a .247 opponents’ average, 19 strikeouts, five walks and a 1.17 WHIP in five Major League starts.
NEARLY PERFECT
In his best start of the season, Adon retired 18 of 22 batters he faced on August 25 at Miami…He allowed just three hits and logged three strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work to earn the win.
2023 IN TRIPLE-A
In his last two starts with Triple-A Rochester, Adon was 1-0 with a 3.24 ERA (4 ER/11.0 IP) with 13 strikeouts and five walks…Those starts include a scoreless 6.0-inning outing in which he allowed just two hits and struck out six on July 21 against Durham (TBR)…In all, Adon went 3-5 with a 4.62 ERA (45 ER/87.2 IP) with 80 strikeouts and 40 walks in 17 starts in Triple-A this season.
