New York Mets (56-71) vs. Washington Nationals (76-50) RHP Robert Gsellman [5-5, 5.65] | LHP Gio Gonzalez (12-5, 2.39) Sat., Aug. 26 l 4:05 p.m. l Game #127 / Home #62 l Nationals Park l Washington, D.C. Television: MASN2 / FS1 l Radio: 106.7 FM The Fan & Nationals Radio Network Standing: 76-50, 1st place, National League East • Home: 35-26 • Road: 41-24 • Streak: L1 • Last Five: 3-2 • Last Ten: 6-4 NATIONALS NEWS OPPONENT WORKIN’ FOR THE WEEKEND NEW YORK METS The Washington Nationals and New York Mets will face off at 4:05 p.m. in the second game of The Nationals and Mets will meet 19 times this season (10 times in New York, nine in D.C.)... this four-game/three-day set, before gearing up for tomorrow’s day-night doubleheader...New Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy spent the first seven years of his Major League career with the York took Game 1 of the weekend series, 4-2, on Friday night, though it was a 1-0 pitcher’s Mets, hitting .288 with 62 home runs, 228 doubles, 20 triples and 402 RBI...Murphy helped duel between Nationals RHP A.J. Cole and Mets RHP Jacob deGrom until the eighth in- lead the Mets to the 2015 World Series, and earned himself the 2015 NL Championship Series ning...The teams combined to post five runs in the game’s final two frames. MVP in the process, hitting .328 with seven home runs and 11 RBI in 14 postseason games... • The Nationals will re-set for Saturday’s contest with a 12-6 record in their last 18 games The MON/WSH franchise has more wins against the Mets (424) than any other opponent. (since Aug. 6)...They have outscored opponents 70-50 in that span. • At 35-26 (.574), the Nationals possess the fourth-best home winning percentage in the THE SERIES National League, and have played fewer home games (61) at this point in the season than The Nationals and Mets have traded NL East division crowns the past three seasons with every team in the NL except the Philadelphia Phillies (60). Washington earning the 2014 title, the Mets taking the 2015 honors, and the Nationals return- ing to the top in 2016...Washington leads the all-time (2005-present) series with the Mets, 126- STARTING STRONG 108...The series was tied at 82-82 entering the 2014 season, but Washington is 44-26 against The Nationals’ starting pitching staff has posted a 1.94 ERA (20 ER/92.2 IP) in their last 15 the Mets since the start of 2014...In 2014, the Nationals broke Atlanta’s previous record of 10 starts (dating to Aug. 9 vs. Miami)...A 1.94 ERA in this stretch leads Major League Baseball by consecutive road wins (1991-92) against the Mets, by winning 12 straight at Citi Field. a wide margin -- it is more than a full run better than the second-best club: Cleveland (2.95). • On the season, Washington’s starters rank among Major League staffs in opp. AVG (T1st, 2017 / BY THE NUMBERS .228), strikeouts (3rd; 1st in NL, 788), opp. OBP (2nd, .297), opp. SLG (2nd, .381), and 2017 W-L ..............................................................................9-4 (3-3 in D.C., 6-1 in New York) ERA (2nd, 3.48). Streak ..............................................................................................................................Lost 1 • The Nationals boast three starters ranked in the top six in ERA in MLB: RHP Max Scherzer Aggregate Score / 2017 .........................................................................Nationals 83, Mets 48 (2nd, 2.25), LHP Gio Gonzalez (3rd, 2.39), & RHP Stephen Strasburg (6th, 3.10). Home Runs Hit / 2017 ............................................................................Nationals 25, Mets 21 BE LIKE GIO ALL-TIME SERIES / BY THE NUMBERS The Nationals capped a four-game weekend series with a 4-1 win over the Padres last Sun- W-L / Nationals (2005-present) ....................................................................................126-108 day, led by this Saturday’s starter, LHP Gio Gonzalez, who held the Padres to one unearned W-L / Home (2005-present) ..............................................................................................53-62 run on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in 6.2 innings of work. W-L / Nationals Park (2008-present) ................................................................................46-41 • Gonzalez has won his last four starts and recorded a 0.33 ERA (1 ER/27.2 IP) in doing so... W-L / Away (2005-present) ...............................................................................................73-46 According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other pitchers in franchise history (Nationals/ W-L / Franchise (Expos/Nationals) ...............................................................................424-406 Expos) to post an ERA below 0.50 over four straight starts -- within one season -- and pick up the win in all four were Charlie Lea (0.28 in 1981), Pedro Martinez (0.30 in 1997) and 2017 AGAINST THE METS DATE RESULT WIN-LOSS-SV TOG DATE RESULT WIN-LOSS-SV TOG Javier Vazquez (0.28 in 2001). 4/21@ W, 4-3 (11) Romero-Smoker-Kelley 3:43 7/3 W, 3-2 Albers-Sewald-None 3:18 4/22@ W, 3-1 Gonzalez-deGrom-Glover 3:01 7/4 W, 11-4 Ross-Lugo-None 3:17 4/23@ W, 6-3 Scherzer-Wheeler-Glover 2:43 7/5 ***PPD, rain, rescheduled for 8/27*** THE SAVE-IORS 4/28 L, 5-7 deGrom-Scherzer-Edgin 3:24 8/25 L, 2-4 deGrom-Cole-Ramos 3:08 Nationals LHP Sammy Solis locked down the Nationals’ win over the Astros in extras on 4/29 L, 3-5 Robles-Strasburg-Familia 3:17 8/26 4/30 W, 23-5 Albers-Syndergaard-None 3:37 8/27 Thursday, securing the first save of his Major League career...With the win in hand, Solis 6/15@ W, 8-3 Gonzalez-Gsellman-None 2:52 8/27 6/16@ W, 7-2 Scherzer-Matz-None 2:56 9/22@ became the ninth different player to earn a save for Washington this season -- the most in Na- 6/17@ W, 7-4 Strasburg-Lugo-Romero 3:32 9/23@ tionals history (2005-pres.)...RHP Matt Albers, LHP Sean Doolittle, RHP Koda Glover, LHP 6/18@ L, 1-5 deGrom-Ross-None 2:50 9/24@ Matt Grace, RHP Shawn Kelley, LHP Oliver Pérez, LHP Enny Romero and RHP Blake TRANSACTIONS AND DISABLED LIST Treinen also all have at least one save in a Nationals uniform this season. 8/17... Returned from rehab and reinstated RHP Shawn Kelley from the 10-day disabled list...Placed RHP • The Nationals’ relief corps has been aces of late...Since Aug. 6 at Chicago, Washington’s Ryan Madson on the 10-day disabled list with a right finger sprain. bullpen has pitched to a 3.00 ERA (18 ER/54.0 IP) with 48 strikeouts, 17 walks and an op- 8/18... Placed RHP Max Scherzer on the 10-day disabled list with left neck inflammation (retro to 8/15). posing batting average of just .190...Nationals relievers have allowed just five home runs 8/19... Returned from rehab and reinstated RHP Stephen Strasburg from the 10-day disabled list. during this 18-game stretch. 8/25... Recalled RHP A.J. Cole from Triple-A Syracuse...Optioned C Pedro Severino to Triple-A. • New bullpen additions LHP Sean Doolittle (12-for-12 in SVO), RHP Ryan Madson (9 G, 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 K, 1 BB, 5 holds) and RHP Brandon Kintzler (12 G, 2-0, 2.25 ERA, 8 K, DISABLED LIST PLAYER INJURY 10/60 DL PLACED / RETRO REINSTATED #GAMES 8 hits, 6 holds) have helped solidify Washington’s ‘pen since their arrivals. Adam Eaton L. Knee Strain 60 April 29 103 Jayson Werth L. Foot Contusion 60 June 5 / June 4 72 Koda Glover Lower Back Stiffness 60 June 11 65 10 SPOT Trea Turner R Wrist Fracture 60 June 30 47 Joe Ross R. Elbow Sprain 60 July 14 / July 11 38 The Nationals have scored at least 10 runs in a game 19 times this season...That’s the most Ryan Raburn L. Trapezius Strain 10 July 26 / July 23 30 such games in a season in franchise (Nationals/Expos) history...The previous record of 14 Stephen Drew L. Abdominal Strain 10 July 29 / July 26 28 Enny Romero L. Forearm Strain 10 Aug.4 / Aug. 3 20 games of at least 10 runs was set by the 2016 Nationals. Bryce Harper Hyperextended L knee 10 Aug. 13 12 • The Nationals’ 19 10+ run games are the most in Major League Baseball ahead of the Brian Goodwin L. Groin Strain 10 Aug. 16 / Aug. 14 10 Ryan Madson R. Finger Sprain 10 Aug. 17 / Aug. 14 10 Houston Astros (18) and Colorado Rockies (18). Max Scherzer L. Neck Inflammation 10 Aug. 18 / Aug. 15 10 Trea Turner R. Hamstring Strain 10 April 10 / April 9 April 21 10 • 1B Adam Lind’s ninth-inning blast on Friday night gave the Nationals’ versatile lefty 10 Koda Glover L. Hip Impingement 10 April 26 May 12 14 home runs this season, the seventh Nationals player to club 10 or more home runs this Shawn Kelley Lower Back Strain 10 May 5 / May 2 May 12 9 Stephen Drew R. Hamstring Strain 10 April 12 May 29 41 year...He joins: Bryce Harper (29), Ryan Zimmerman (29), Anthony Rendon (22), Dan- Jose Marmolejos L. Forearm Strain 60 Feb. 24 June 1 52 iel Murphy (20), Brian Goodwin (13), and Michael A. Taylor (12). Joe Blanton R Shoulder Inflammation 10 May 17 June 11 21 Sammy Solis L. Elbow Inflammation 60 April 19 July 1 65 Chris Heisey R Biceps Rupture 10 May 24 July 7 40 Michael A.