IGT 09/25 -- Mets at Gnats -- Game 1

[Guest d'Kong76]

Just startin' one for the halibut.

[Guest d'Kong76]

NY Mets at Washington
When: 1:05 PM ET, Thursday, September 25, 2014
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
SportsDirect Inc.

The Washington Nationals enter Thursday's doubleheader with the visiting New York Mets having won nine of their last 10 games. The Nationals are battling the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the National League, so it became critical to make up Wednesday's rained-out contest even though the Mets are eliminated from playoff contention. New York had won three straight before dropping a 4-2 decision in Tuesday's series opener.

Adam LaRoche hit a three-run homer in that contest for Washington, which also has a doubleheader scheduled for Friday against the Miami Marlins. The Nationals have played one doubleheader this season, taking a pair from the Chicago Cubs on June 28 by the combined score of 10-2. The Mets hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks in a twin bill on May 25 and split the pair.

TV:
1:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Mets RH Dillon Gee (7-8, 3.88 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Blake Treinen (2-3, 1.94)

Gee has posted a 5.50 ERA in three starts against the Nationals this season, although his career numbers against Washington (8-4, 3.51 ERA) are still solid. His last time out, Gee gave up four runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-3 loss to Miami. Bryce Harper is 6-for-16 (.375) with two homers and four RBIs against the 28-year-old.

Treinen has made 14 appearances (six starts) in his brief major league career and has yielded only one home run in 46 1/3 innings. He tossed five scoreless frames against Atlanta his last time out and has not given up a run in eight innings this month. He made his only lifetime appearance against New York on Aug. 5 and allowed one run and three hits in two innings of relief.

WALK-OFFS:
1. The Nationals have gone nine straight games without allowing more than three runs.
2. Nationals CF Denard Span, who leads the team in batting average (.300) and steals (31), was injured making a diving catch Tuesday and is considered day-to-day.
3. Washington holds a commanding 14-3 lead in the season series, which concludes Thursday.

[Guest d'Kong76]

[u:12qx3vtp]WSH[/u:12qx3vtp]
Taylor 8
Harper 9
Zimmerman 7
LaRoche 3
Desmond 6
Frandsen 5
Lobaton 2
Espinosa 4
Treinen 1

[Guest d'Kong76]

[u:1z8m9bzq]NYM[/u:1z8m9bzq]
den Dekker, LF
Flores, 2B
Murphy, 3B
Duda, 1B
Granderson, RF
Nieuwenhuis, CF
Tejada, SS
Centeno, C
Gee, P

[ashie62]

Not raining there.

1-0 Mets Nats batting in the bottom of the first.

[Edgy MD]

Four hits in the first seven batters. Mets looking to knock off the Treinin wheels.

[Edgy MD]

Challenges on the field. The great story of our times.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Four hits in the first seven batters. Mets looking to knock off the Treinin wheels.

And Treinan only retired 7 of the first 14 batters he faced.
But two outs on the basepaths (1 CS + 1 GiDP) and a bunch of LOBs = just 1 run

[Edgy MD]

Seems like a handful of these 2014 games vs. the Nats have gone this way. Mets are the better team through five, but only lead by a run or two, and then the Nats break through for five.

[Edgy MD]

And it ties up while I'm in the privy.

[Edgy MD]

Hits number six and seven here in the top o' the fifth.

Come on. you Mets. You... remaining Mets.

[Edgy MD]

And Muffy plates on with a DUBOOM. Two big ducks remain out there for Duda.

[Frayed Knot]

Every once in a while it helps to mix in an extra-base hit.
Doubles > double plays

[Edgy MD]

Pitcher chased.

You don't want to change pitchers with one out in the fourth in game one of a double header, but (a) it's September, and ( Murphy was the lineup is stacked with lefties.

And © Duda.

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: Hits number six and seven here in the top o' the fifth. Come on. you Mets. You... remaining Mets.

Carp. I missed all this action. 2-1 Metsies.

The remaining Mets. I was rooting for Murph to get 200 hits. That fell by the wayside. I have Lagares, Travis 'd, Herrera to check out. Nope, they're done. Oh, there's deGroms 10th win. Nope, hit the shelf kid.

So somebody, tell me....why am I watching?

Oh, Duda could get 30......

[Edgy MD]

Nuttin' else.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Seems like a handful of these 2014 games vs. the Nats have gone this way. Mets are the better team through five, but only lead by a run or two, and then the Nats break through for five.

Indeed. In fact, with that 3-run top of the 5th, the odds of the Mets winning this game just jumped to 17%

[Zvon]

Ugh. Gee gives it all back. Bad balk, but hits are the real culprit.
Hey, this is an exciting game. 4-4 Mets.

Centeno can throw runners out.

Jeeze, 5 hits in a row?

[Ceetar]

[Zvon]

That wasn't the first balk of the season, was it?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Why do I feel like this one is gonna go 14 innings?

[Edgy MD]

That's weird.

FIRE THE BALKING COACH NOW!!!!

[Guest d'Kong76]

First balk of year, and they're talking about the Twit thing
on the broadcast as we type.

[Zvon]

d'Kong76 wrote: First balk of year, and they're talking about the Twit thing on the broadcast as we type.

hmmm, amazin'. And that guy tweeted that a minute before the balk. Wacky stuff.

[Ceetar]

I hate the "Mets @ Gnats" in the thread title. always makes me think it's an intersquad game.

[Zvon]

Gee ends the season with a ERA of 4.00. Tsk, tsk.

Carlyle in the 6th.

[Guest d'Kong76]

3.997! Ouch.

[MFS62]

In case you're wondering where's Travis, ESPN has the answer:

Travis d'Arnaud will be examined by team doctors Friday when the Mets return to New York. The 25-year-old catcher is unavailable for Thursday's doubleheader in Washington, D.C. due to an unspecified injury. The Mets are only saying that d'Arnaud is "banged up." It's uncertain whether he'll be able to return to action over the final weekend of the regular season.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

This game looks like it's being played in front of multiple dozens of people.

[Zvon]

Damn. That one view shows it but T gets in the way.

We need to win this challenge.