The Mets went into the last edition of the 2023 Subway Series needing every win they could get. New York ended up with one victory and one defeat. Now, they switch boroughs and head home to Citi Field to face the Washington Nationals.
Here are the probable pitching matchups at the moment.
Thursday at 7:10 pm ET: Kodai Senga vs. Josiah Gray
Kodai Senga hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last five starts. However, his last appearance in Boston was limited to just 3.1 innings because of rain, which led the game to getting suspended. Senga has faced the Nationals once this year, allowing two runs on five hits, four walks, and seven strikeouts in five innings on April 26th.
Josiah Gray has started putting things together in 2023, posting a 3.45 ERA in 20 starts. His last appearance was a gem against the San Francisco Giants, allowing one run on four hits, three walks, and four strikeouts in seven innings. Gray faced the Mets on April 25th and held them scoreless while striking out nine across six innings.
Friday at 7:10 pm ET: Max Scherzer vs. MacKenzie Gore
When will Max Scherzer kick things into high gear? Maybe a matchup against his former team in the Nationals is when it’ll happen. He’s lasted at least six innings in four of his last five starts, but he’s also allowed at least four earned runs three times during that span. Max has once again had trouble with home run ball. He’s watched 10 balls sail over the fence during his last five starts. For some context, he allowed 13 in 23 starts last season.
After a rough start to his second half (five runs in 6.1 innings against the Cubs), MacKenzie Gore bounced back in his last start against the Giants. He held them scoreless across five innings, allowing just four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. Gore has faced the Mets twice so far this year and has performed quite well. He’s allowed just one run in 10 innings to go along with 13 strikeouts.
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Saturday at 7:10 pm ET: Carlos Carrasco vs. Patrick Corbin
Carlos Carrasco ended his first half with an eight-inning gem against the Diamondbacks. That momentum hasn’t continued into the second half. The veteran right-hander has posted an 11.57 ERA in his past two starts (seven innings). Boston ousted him after 2.1 frames thanks to racking up 10 hits. This is Cookie’s first start against the Nationals in 2023. In five starts against Washington last year, he went 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA.
Patrick Corbin also isn’t coming off his best start of the year. He allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in 6.1 innings against the Rockies. The Mets have typically tagged Corbin pretty well in the past (5.11 ERA in 2022). In his lone start against New York this year, though, the southpaw got the win while posting a quality start.
Sunday at 1:40 pm ET: Justin Verlander vs. Trevor Williams
Will this be Justin Verlander’s last start with the Mets? Probably not. JV allowed four walks in his last start against the Yankees, but it was accompanied by just two hits in six shutout innings. Over his last 37 frames (six starts), Verlander owns a 1.46 ERA with 32 strikeouts.
Trevor Williams is getting what he wanted with Washington — a full-time job in the rotation. Across 21 starts, Williams has posted a 4.47 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. In two appearances against the Mets in 2023, the right-hander has allowed five runs on 11 hits in 7.1 frames.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
