Today at 12:35 p.m. ET, the New York Mets (54-60) and Washington Nationals (61-51) play the rubber match of their three-game set live from Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The game can be live streamed here. New York fans can hear all of the action on WOR 710 while Washington fans can do the same on WFED 1500.
New York plays the third contest of a seven-game road trip while Washington closes out an eight-game homestand it is 3-4 on thus far. The Mets picked up a win in the opening game of this set Tuesday by a 6-1 margin while the Nationals bounced back Wednesday with a 7-1 triumph.
Washington enters play atop the National League East, owning a four-game lead over the Braves after Atlanta went 0-8 on their most recent road trip while New York sits in fourth place, eight games behind their opponent.
Jacob deGrom (6-5, 2.77 ERA) mans the mound for the Mets and goes for his sixth straight win, which would put him one shy tying the Mets rookie record for consecutive victories while Washington turns to Jordan Zimmerman, who is 7-5 with a 3.00 ERA.
DeGrom, 26, took home Rookie of the Month honors for the MLB in July and ranks among the league's best pitchers statistically right now. DeGrom held the San Francisco Giants to two earned runs over 7.1 innings on Saturday.
"The experience has been unreal," deGrom told MLB.com. "You dream of it as a kid, and I think once you get up here it's been even more than you imagined."
Staked to an 11-run lead last time out, Zimmerman held the Philadelphia Phillies scoreless through seven innings on Saturday.
"I felt good; these guys gave me some runs early," Zimmermann said after the game, according to MLB.com. "I was able to settle in, just throw strikes and let the defense work."
Zimmerman faces a New York lineup that is flanked by second baseman Daniel Murphy, who leads the team with a .302 batting average and the NL with 139 hits while ranking tied for fourth in the league with 31 doubles. Mets first baseman Lucas Duda leads the team in homers (20) and RBI (62).
Washington's lineup has been paced by shortstop Ian Desmond, who leads the team with 17 long-balls and 66 RBI while outfielder Denard Span is first in batting average (.295) and Anthony Rendon ranks second in the NL in runs scored (79).
Both teams have major players that are struggling as Mets third baseman David Wright has had a rough second half so far after receiving a cortisone shot in his shoulder and Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper hasn't been the same since landing on the disabled list with a thumb injury.
Two NL East rivals close out their series with a matinee meeting when the Mets and Nationals take the field at Nationals Park this afternoon in Washington, D.C.
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