Neil Miller/TheNYExtra.com
Mets get 5-hit by The Nats to lose Game #3 in a row By Rich Coutinho
After a 7-3 west coast swing, The Mets returned to Citifield after a day off and never got the wakeup call as the Nationals pinned a 5-0 loss at the hands of The Amazins.
Jose Butto, who was called up from AAA to make the start, never had command walking 6 batters–the most by a Met starter in over 2 years. Meanwhile, the Met offense never got going managing only 5 hits with the only real threat coming in the 5th inning as they loaded the bases before a Starling Marte strikeout left a trio of Met runners on base.
The Nationals got on the board on a Keibert Ruiz home run and that turned out to be the only offense they needed despite adding a run in third inning followed by a 3 spot in sixth frame that pretty much ended the night for the Mets. Of course, Buck Showalter was asked after the game if the team was the victim of a west coast hangover on this night, but he was having none of that saying, “That is an excuse my players will never commit to as we just did not play well. Every team in baseball has schedules that get challenging, and I will not use that as an excuse nor will my players.”
One piece of good news surfaced tonight as it looks like Justin Verlander will perform in a rehab start this week and then likely return to the rotation sometime on the next road trip more than likely in the series they will play in Detroit against the Tigers. He said before tonight’s game, “I am very anxious to return and we have taken the necessary steps to do that with a very planned out rehab schedule. I am feeling very ready to make my start on the big-league level next week.”
The Mets have 2 more games versus the Nationals before the Atlanta Braves invade Citifield meeting the Mets for the first time this season in a 4 game set this weekend and it looks like Max Scherzer will toe the rubber for the final game of that series after he completes his suspension he is serving for the creme-related fiasco during the Mets West coast swing.
