Catch up on all of yesterday’s minor league action from around the Mets farm system!

*All results from games played on Wednesday, August 6^th, 2014

Triple-A - Las Vegas 51's (62-51)_______________________________________

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

Double-A - Binghamton Mets (69-47)_____________________________________

BINGHAMTON 5, RICHMOND 1 (Box)

Here's everything worth noting about this game:

Dilson Herrera, who left B-Mets game in 6th, injured finger sliding. Brandon Nimmo, out of lineup, day-to-day with hand soreness.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) August 7, 2014

• SS Wilfredo Tovar: 0-5
• CF Brandon Nimmo: DNP;
  
• 2B Dilson Herrera: 1-4, K
  
• 1B-3B Brian Burgamy: 1-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 BB
  
• LF Dustin Lawley: 1-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
• 3B-2B T.J. Rivera: 1-4, RBI, BB, K
• OF Darrell Ceciliani: 1-5, R, 3 K
  
• 1B Jayce Boyd: 0-1
• RHP Greg Peavey: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K

Advanced-A - St. Lucie Mets (23-19 / 63-48)_____________________________________

FORT MYERS 5, ST. LUCIE 6 (Box)

• 3B Jeff McNeil: 1-3, R, BB
  
• DH Phil Evans: 0-5, R
  
• RF Jared King: 1-4, RBI, BB
• C Cam Maron: 1-4, BB
  
• SS Gavin Cecchini: 3-3, R, BB; Boom! Finally a big game from Cecchini.
• 1B Albert Cordero: 0-4, R
• CF Gilbert Gomez: 2-4, R, 2B, 3 RBI
  
• Rehab Alert: Jeremy Hefner: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
  
• RHP Seth Lugo: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
  

Low-A -Savannah Sand Gnats(29-17 / 73-39)__________________________________

GAME ONE

CHARLESTON 0, SAVANNAH 2 (Box)

• SS Yeixon Ruiz: 1-3, R, 2B
  
• CF Champ Stuart: 0-2
  
• 1B Dominic Smith: 1-2, R, 2B, RBI, BB; I realize Savannah suppresses power and especially left-handed powzzzzzzzzz. Just give me one friggin' home run this season.
  
• DH Matt Oberste: 0-3
  
• RHP Rob Whalen: 5.1 IP, 4 H. 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K
  
• RHP Akeel Morris: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K; A bit weird he's still in Savannah at this point. I mean, he has a 0.72 ERA in 50 plus innings. He's striking out 14 batters per nine innings. He should probably be in St. Lucie at this point.

GAME TWO

CHARLESTON 3, SAVANNAH 5 (Box)

• SS Yeixon Ruiz: 0-3, K
  
• CF Champ Stuart: 0-3
  
• 1B Dominic Smith: DNP
  
• 1B Matt Oberste: 1-3, R, K
  
• RF Stefan Sabol: 2-2, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB; Go-ahead homer in the bottom of the fifth and then the walk-off in the bottom of the seventh.
• RHP Octavio Acosta: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, ER, 3 BB, 7 K; Called up from Brooklyn for the start. Unclear if this is a promotion or spot start situation. Would seem like an awfully far way to go for just a spot start, though.
  

Short-A - Brooklyn Cyclones (27-25)__________________________________

BROOKLYN 1, MAHONING VALLEY 2 (Box) 12 innings

• CF John Mora: 2-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, K;
  
• C Adrian Abreu: 0-3, R, 2 BB, K
• SS Amed Rosario: 1-5, K
  
• 3B Jhoan Urena: 1-5, 2 K
• LF Michael Conforto: 0-5, K: TRAID!
  
• RF Michael Bernal: 0-4, K
• 2B Tyler Moore: 3-4, 2 2B
• 1B William Fulmer: 0-5, 2 K
• RHP Scarlyn Reyes: 6 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Rookie -Kingsport Mets(19-20)__________________________________

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

Rookie -GCL Mets(22-19)__________________________________

GCL MARLINS 6, GCL METS 1 (Box)

• LF Enmanuel Zabala: 1-2, RBI
• SS Milton Ramos: 0-3, BB, K
  
• CF Arnaldo Berrios: 0-4, K
  
• 1B Dash Winningham: 0-3, 2 K
  
• 2B Dale Burdick: 0-1, 2 BB
• RHP Jose Celas: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, ER, BB, 6 K

Star of the Night

Stefan Sabol.

Goat of the Night

Michael Conforto.

Your Thursday morning dose of New York Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.

Meet the Mets

Jon Niese was less than sharp out of the gates last night, and the Nationals took full advantage, putting up three in the first inning. Doug Fister quieted the Mets' offense until the game got out of hand in the sixth when Danny Espinosa took Niese deep for three more, and the Mets eventually lost 7-1.

Choose Your Recap: Amazin' Avenue Short, Long, MLB.com, ESPN NY,  Daily News, New York Times, Associated Press, Star­Ledger, NY Post, Newsday

The rubber game, slated for 12:35 this afternoon, will pit Jacob deGrom (6-5, 2.77) against right-hander Jordan Zimmerman (7-5, 3.00).

When the question of his interest in Bud Selig's job arose, Sandy Alderson made it clear he plans to remain Mets general manager until the job is done.

Bill Price takes some time to look at the effect that Jacob deGrom is having on fans at Citi Field.

Over at Mets Minor League Blog, Toby Hyde analyzes the 51s' Matt Reynolds as a potential utility player for the Mets.

Daisuke Matsuzaka's elbow inflammation is improving.

Savannah's Hunter Carnevale is no longer in the Mets organization. He has been acquired by the Blue Jays for cash.

Around the NL East

The Bravesfell to the Mariners 7-3. Talking Chop's Dan Simpson remembers Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren.

The Fish were harpooned by Pittsburgh 7-3. Dakota Schmidt at Fish Stripes takes a look at the downfall of Jacob Turner.

The Philliestook out the Astros 10-3. Cliff Lee is out for the season.

Federal Baseball's Patrick Reddington revisits the decision to send Jayson Werth home in the bottom of the sixth of Washington's 6-1 loss to the Mets on Tuesday.

Around the Majors

Troy Tulowitzkireiterates that "something needs to change" with the Rockies organization, but he insists that vocalizing his frustrations does not mean he wants to be traded. It was reported that Tulo looked good in his first batting practice session after suffering an injury to his hip flexor.

A wayward baseball skipped onto the field during an Indians' rally against the Reds on Tuesday, stifling it in the process. Rob Neyer breaks down how the rules failed Cleveland.

According to Maury Brown, baseball broadcasts on regional sports networks are dominating prime time summer television.

Cole Hamels and Marlon Byrdwere claimed by way of revocable waivers on Wednesday.

The Rays' and Red Sox's general managers were instructed that they could trade their prized pitchers to anyone but the Yankees.

Twelve-year-old Dawson Batts impressed all in attendance at the Baseball Youth NYBC All-Star Challenge last weekend. Thing is, Dawson was born without a left arm.

Matt Harvey: from elbow of a nation to teardrop of the internet, back to elbow of a nation again.

Craig Robinson of Flip Flop Fly Ballcreates baseball cards inspired by recent spam emails.

Yesterday At AA

Lukas Vlahos wonders whether former Met and current Astro, Collin McHugh, might be one who got away.

Steve Schreiber explores the idea of the Mets taking a chance on recently-released former prospect, Jacob Turner [update: Too late...The Cubsclaimed him].

Michael Avallone fears we may have just witnessed another #LOLMets moment.

David Roth pitches the idea that as prudent as it would have been to trade Bartolo Colon, it's simply too much fun to have him on the team.

Andrew Gould reveals that Zach Wheeler is all but untouchable.

Brock Mahan runs down all of Tuesday's Mets farm action.

If you read an article or find a link that you think would be a great addition to a future edition of Mets Morning News, please forward it to our tips email address tips@grission.com and we'll try to add it in.

The Mets experienced firsthand the type of club they hope to model themselves after during a pitching-rich weekend at Citi Field.

Pitching wins championships, or so the saying goes, and no baseball team in recent memory strengthens that argument more than the San Francisco Giants. Of course, you'll forgive New York if they seemed a bit jealous of their opponent. Simply stated, the Giants have perfected the pitching-rich blueprint that the Mets aspire to replicate, and the time to implement that plan is quickly approaching.

GM Sandy Alderson has made no secret of what his vision of success looks like. The image is as clear as day and includes names like Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jacob DeGrom, Jeurys Familia, Jenrry Mejia, and Noah Syndergaard. The road to a consistent winner in Queens begins and ends on the pitcher's mound, and nowhere has that plan been better executed than in San Francisco by GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy.

The Giants have ridden the arms of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner to World Series titles in 2010 and 2012. Granted, San Francisco is blessed with a star player in 2012 National League MVP Buster Posey, but many of the other hitters during those championship seasons hardly struck fear into opposing pitchers. Andrew Owens of MLB.com ran a story in June 2013 that summed up the Giants' plan.

As the Giants' blueprint has proven, it pays to develop your own pitching. As the 2010 and '12 runs displayed, it's much easier to find affordable position players in the offseason and the July non-waiver Trade Deadline than it is to acquire quality pitching. Think of the names. Sure, there are some stars like Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval who rose through the farm system, but the rest is mostly a hodgepodge of acquisitions and castaways. In short, the Giants' shrewd strategy of making arms the backbone of the organization was the foundation of the success, and all it took was some tinkering with the offense to put together championship-caliber clubs. It's an outline that continues to hold true in San Francisco.

Alderson, who took over the general manager's role from Omar Minaya following the 2010 campaign, was obviously paying attention. While the Mets' pitching pipeline is the envy of other clubs, the team continues to search for the right offensive mix to supplement what is already a stout pitching staff. The Mets have their own star player in David Wright. Daniel Murphy has a 120 OPS+ and is leading the National League with 134 hits. Lucas Duda and Travis d'Arnaud have begun to produce, while Curtis Granderson is a solid veteran presence. Remember, the Giants won two titles with names like Andres Torres, Gregor Blanco, Marco Scutaro, Ryan Theriot, and Cody Ross dotting the lineup card.

To be sure, the Mets need more consistency from their offense if they plan on being a playoff team, much less a World Series contender. Unlike the free-agent bonanza of the late 1990s and early 2000s when sluggers were available left and right, today's general manager needs to be a little more careful and creative when building a team.

The blueprint has been mapped out and printed, and the path New York is taking is clear. All that's left is to see if the Mets can build something as strong and sturdy as the Giants have.

Washington Nationals' starter Doug Fister shut the New York Mets down last night in Nationals Park and the Nats' bats provided plenty of offense in the 7-1 win which set up a rubber match this afternoon in the nation's capital.

When starter Doug Fister earned his 8th win back on July 10th in Baltimore, Maryland's Oriole Park at Camden Yards and momentarily claimed the team lead in wins, Washington's first-year skipper, Matt Williams, was asked if the 30-year-old right-hander the Nationals acquired from the Detroit Tigers this past winter, had established himself as the ace of the Nats' starting rotation?

"I think that if you look at it," Williams said diplomatically, while explaining that wins didn't tell the whole story.

"Certainly Stephen [Strasburg] has pitched well. [Jordan Zimmermann] has pitched well. Tanner [Roark] has pitched well. Gio [Gonzalez] has got 22 scoreless or whatever he's got. It's the way the game works out sometimes. We've seen that with [Zimmermann] especially, that sometimes the run support just isn't there and you don't get that win, per se, but they've all pitched really well."

Fister earned his 11th win Wednesday night in Nationals Park, throwing 7 ⅓ innings against the New York Mets in which he gave up six hits and one unearned run, walking no one, striking out seven and inducing 11 ground ball outs from the 27 batters he faced.

Before tonight Fister won at least 11 games twice before in six-year major league career, in his 32nd appearance and 31st start in 2011, during the season in which he was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Tigers.

In his third season with Detroit last year, Fister earned his 11th win in his 26th turn in the rotation.

Last night's was the right-hander's 15th start for the Nationals this season, after the start of his 2014 campaign was delayed until the second week of May by a strained right lat suffered at the end of Spring Training.

So is he the Nats' ace now?

Williams was asked again last night.

"I think they're all good," he said. "I think all of our starters are good.

"They've all got the ability to go out there and compete and keep us in games and win games for us. With regard to Doug, he was good once again. Kept them off-balance, threw strikes. Relaxed, certainly, after the first inning where we got some runs and went to work, so he was really good again tonight."

Fister's work on Wednesday and offensive contributions from Adam LaRoche, Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper and Danny Espinosa among others lifted the Nationals to a 7-1 win after they'd dropped two in a row to start the week.

"Quality starting pitching will do that," Williams said of the Nats' starters' ability to bring losing streaks to an end before they get out of hand. "They've got the ability to go out and stop a skid if we get into one and for that matter if we play really well we can have an extended good period too, so it's nice to have those guys that can go out there and be a 'stopper' if you will, so they're all competing really hard, they're all pitching and ready to take the ball every fifth day."

Fister threw 101 pitches total, 63 of them sinkers according to BrooksBaseball, 47 of them (74.6%) for strikes and averaged 88.4 mph with the pitch.

Nationals 7-1 over Mets: Doug Fister does it again

Photo © Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports

"The radar gun doesn't blow up," Williams told reporters. "But he throws the ball where he wants to. Tonight he was really down in the zone, really down and on the corners tonight. We got a lot of ground balls, got a couple of double plays, and that's kind of what he provides for us, the ability with one pitch to get two outs and that's huge."

The Nationals turned two double plays for Fister, but Anthony Rendon, who was charged with an error, and Danny Espinosa who dropped Rendon's throw to second, blew a chance at a third in the eighth. Fister got Mets' outfielder Eric Campbell looking for the second out of the eighth and was replaced on the mound by Matt Thornton, who allowed one of the two runners he inherited to score.

• We talked about the Nationals' win, the Bryce Harper drama and Anthony Rendon's continued contributions on last night's edition of Nats Nightly:

Adam LaRoche homered twice in last night's game, showing signs that he's heating up at the plate. Danny Espinosa continued to crush... from the right side. Jayson Werth's shoulder is barking, but he's in the lineup for the Washington Nationals today...

Danny Espinosa was 1 for 4 with a run scored and three driven in last night, and the 27-year-old's one hit was a three-run home run that put the Washington Nationals up 6-0 on the New York Mets in what ended up a 7-1 win.

The Nationals' 27-year-old '08 3rd Round pick's seventh home run of the year came off Mets' lefty Jon Niese. With the blast, Espinosa improved to 26 for 84 (.310/.383/.524) with seven doubles and three home runs from the right side of the plate. A swinging K in his final at bat against right-hander Carlos Torres, left Espinosa 37 for 201 (.184/.243/.294) from the left side this season. Espinosa told reporters after the game that he had, in fact, thought about giving up on switch-hitting:

Interesting thoughts from Danny Espinosa. He said he could see giving right-handed hitting a try, but it would have to be in the offseason.

— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) August 7, 2014

Danny Espinosa says he's given thought to only hitting right-handed in the future. Would likely have to be an offseason project, though

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) August 7, 2014

Nationals' manager Matt Williams was asked after the game for his take on why Espinosa's continued to struggle from the left side while crushing left-handed pitching?

"For me he just gets on top of the baseball more from the right side than he does from the left side," Williams said.

"It's something he works on every day left-handed. But it's naturally a little more on top of the baseball, I think, right-handed. Tonight it was a changeup down, not a bad pitch, but he had good length through the swing and was able to get enough of it to get it out. But, like we talked about before the game, he's swinging really well, especially from the right side. And tonight, big hit for us."

Adam LaRoche homered twice in last night's win, going 2 for 4 overall.

So far in August, the 34-year-old first baseman is 8 for 21 with two doubles and two home runs in six games and 25 plate appearances, following a rough .159/.238/.227 month of July in which he hit three doubles and one home run in 101 PAs. Williams was asked about the importance of getting LaRoche going down the stretch.

"It's really important," the first-year skipper said. "He's going to continue to hit in the middle of our order and tonight was a good example of him being on time. Against a lefty, the first homer is particularly good, because it's lefty/lefty and he was on time on that pitch and got enough of it, so we've talked about it before, when he's hitting those lofty fly balls to left field, he's just a tick off, tonight his timing was much better."

Williams took an opportunity late in last night's game to get Jayson Werth some rest and get Steven Souza, Jr. some at bats. Souza went 0 for 1 at the plate, but put together a nice at bat which featured a somewhat-epic foul ball that went just wide of the foul pole in left. He also made a nice diving catch in right late in the game.

Williams liked what he saw from Souza.

"He's playing really well, he has been all season," Williams said.

"He made a nice sliding catch. Just missed a homer. But he had a good at bat. Fouled the first one off, pulled the second one and actually just missed the third one too. So that was good to see."

The opportunity arose to get Souza some work and rest Werth, who's been dealing with an ankle and now a neck issue in the last week or so.

Nationals 7-1 over Mets: Doug Fister does it again

Photo © Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports

"Jayson has got a little shoulder that's been bothering him a little bit," Williams explained.

"Tonight he was a little tight in his neck, so rather than risk it in that game, we thought we'd get Steven in there. So we'll see how Jayson is tomorrow, but he's been a little tight for the last week or so."

The problem is in Werth's right shoulder.

"It's from swinging," Williams said. "He took a funky swing about a week ago and it's been lingering, it's nothing serious, but if we get a chance to get him out of there, we'll do that."

• Werth's back in the starting lineup today for the series finale with the Mets:

#Nats vs. #Mets: Span CF, Rendon 3B, Werth RF, LaRoche 1B, Desmond SS, Harper LF, Cabrera 2B, Lobaton C, Zimmermann P pic.twitter.com/cPaP2PXTmO

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 7, 2014

The Washington Nationals and New York Mets were tied up at 3-3 after nine innings after splitting the first two games of the three-game set in D.C. It went to the 13th before Bryce Harper hit a walk-off home run to left field to win it! 5-3 final.

Rubber Match Top 5:

5. Quick Recap:Washington Nationals' first baseman Adam LaRoche improved to 9 for 22 with three doubles and two home runs so far in August with a two-base line drive to right in the first at bat of the second this afternoon in the nation's capital. Ian Desmond stepped in next against New York Mets' right-hander Jacob deGrom and crushed a 3-2 fastball after spitting on back-to-back 1-2 sliders, sending home run no.18 of 2014 into the left field bullpen on a line for a 2-0 lead early in the series finale between the NL East rivals.

WATCH: @IanDesmond20#Steak: http://t.co/JCcWLdUVIU

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 7, 2014

#LowFivesForHomers! #Steak@IanDesmond20pic.twitter.com/edPsX27K9y

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 7, 2014

Daniel Murphy was 2 for 2 today, 7 for 10 in the series in D.C. and 15 for 42 with five doubles and three home vs Jordan Zimmermann in their respective careers after he lined an RBI double to center in the top of the third inning to cut the Nats' lead in half, 2-1.

Watch Daniel Murphy plate @JdeGrom19 with an RBI double in the 3rd: http://t.co/B2r8PXARVR#ImWith28#NYMvsWAS

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 7, 2014

LaRoche and Desmond did it again in the fourth with the Nats' first baseman reaching on a ground-rule double to left and scoring from second on a line drive single to left-center by the Nationals' shortstop. 3-1 Nats after four.

The Mets tied things up in the seventh with Wilmer Flores and Kirk Nieuwenhuis reaching on leadoff and one-out singles, respectively, moving up on a wild pitch by Drew Storen, who took over on the mound after Nieuwenhuis' hit, and scoring on a sac fly by Eric Young, Jr. and an RBI single by Curtis Granderson in consecutive at bats as the Mets tied things up at 3-3 in D.C.

RBI single for @CGrand3!!! Game tied!! #NYMvsWAS

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 7, 2014

• With the score still tied at 3-3 after twelve and a half innings, Ian Desmond walked to start the Nationals' thirteenth and

#Nats vs. #Mets: Span CF, Rendon 3B, Werth RF, LaRoche 1B, Desmond SS, Harper LF, Cabrera 2B, Lobaton C, Zimmermann P pic.twitter.com/cPaP2PXTmO

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 7, 2014

4. D.C. via Auburndale, WI: Jordan Zimmermann threw seven scoreless against the Philadelphia Phillies last time out on the mound, earning his seventh win of the season in the process and continuing to improve coming out of the break as he's recovered from the bicep scare that caused him to miss his second straight All-Star appearance.

In three post All-Star Break starts, the 28-year-old right-hander has a 2.84 ERA, a 2.56 FIP, one walk (0.47 BB/9) and 20 Ks (9.47 K/9) in 19 IP over which he's held opposing hitters to a combined .233/.247/.431 line.

"Good slider to the right handers," Nats' skipper Matt Williams said when asked about Zimmermann's outing vs the Phillies after the Nationals' 11-0 win. "Fastball up ahead in the count. Up out of the zone he got some chases there. He was aggressive. His tempo was good. Throwing strikes. Working fast. Even with some of the long innings we had offensively, he still stayed with it and kept his tempo going."

This afternoon, the Nats' '07 2nd Round pick was taking on the New York Mets in the nation's capital where he's (4-2) in 12 starts so far this season with a 2.62 ERA, a 2.54 FIP, 13 walks (1.70 BB/9) and 56 Ks (7.34 K/9) in 68 ⅔ IP in which visitor's to Nationals Park have a .278/.317/.352 line against him.

Zimmermann was taking on the Mets for the second time this season after holding NY's hitters to eight hits, two walks and three earned runs in six innings of work back on May 18th in D.C.

#PardonMe! Need to sneak out of work for today's game? Here’s your Presidential Pardon: http://t.co/DdhrzcAFH7pic.twitter.com/7zeQnkmaVk

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 7, 2014

That outing was the 17th of his career against the Nationals' NL East rivals, against whom he was (5-5) in 17 career starts with a 3.29 ERA, 23 walks (2.10 BB/9) and 77 Ks (7.05 K/9) in 98 ⅓ IP over which Mets' hitters put up a combined .254/.299/.393 line against him.

The 18th start of Zimmermann's 2014 campaign began with groundout to first...

1st: Jordan Zimmermann got over to cover first on a grounder to Adam LaRoche off Curtis Granderson's bat. Daniel Murphy took a 1-2 curve low and away out to left-center for a one-out single. David Wright chased a 2-2 slider out of the zone outside for out no.2. Lucas Duda sent Jayson Werth back to the track, but the Nats' right fielder caught the third out of a 17-pitch frame.

2nd: Juan Lagares popped up to Asdrubal Cabrera at second to start the top of the second. Wilmer Flores grounded sharply to short for out no.2. Mets' catcher Anthony Recker took a close 1-2 fastball inside to get to a 2-2 count but bit on a 2-2 curve outside. Check-swing strike three. 16-pitch frame. 33 total after two.

3rd: Jacob deGrom, batting eighth, singled through the right side to start the top of the third, and moved up to second when Eric Young, Jr. bunted him over/gave up an out. Curtis Granderson stepped in with a runner in scoring position and K'd swinging at a slider Zimmermann aimed at his back heel. Daniel Murphy came up next and lined an RBI double to center to bring the pitcher in, 2-1 Nats. David Wright's fly to right ended a 16-pitch frame that left Zimmermann at 49 total after three.

4th: Lucas Duda K'd swinging at a 1-2 slider. Juan Lagares grounded weakly to short. Wilmer Flores popped out to first to end a quick, nine-pitch, 1-2-3 fourth. 58 pitches total for Zimmermann after four.

5th: Anthony Recker and Jacob deGrom hit back-to-back balls out to Denard Span to give Jordan Zimmermann two quick outs on three pitches. Eric Young, Jr. worked the count full in a 10-pitch at bat that ended with a weak pop to foul territory off third. 13-pitch frame. 71 total after five. Seven straight Mets set down.

6th: Curtis Granderson grounded weakly to first. Daniel Murphy was 3 for 3 today after a line drive single to right on an 0-1 change, but he was forced out at second on a grounder to Asdrubal Cabrera by David  Wright. Lucas Duda stepped in with two down and beat the shift with a single through the right side. Juan Lagares fell behind 0-2 and went down swinging at a high heater. 13-pitch frame, 84 total after six.

7th: Wilmer Flores singled to start the seventh. Anthony Recker sent a fly to Denard Span in center for the first out of the frame. Pinch hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis singled through short to put two on and end Zimmermann's outing... [ed. note - "Action picks up in no.1 below]...

The line on Jordan Zimmermann: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K -- 91 pitches, 67 strikes. pic.twitter.com/OGdqUPS3oe

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 7, 2014

• Jordan Zimmermann's Line: 6.1 IP. 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks, 91 P, 67 S, 6/5 GO/FO.

Today’s pitching match-up features @JdeGrom19 (6-5, 2.77 ERA) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (7-5, 3.00 ERA) #NYMvsWASpic.twitter.com/IFPnlgPB0U

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 7, 2014

3. deGrom in D.C.: Jacob deGrom, the New York Mets' 26-year-old, 2010 9th Round pick entered this afternoon's series finale with a five-start win streak going which stretched back to a July 2nd loss to the Atlanta Braves on the road in Turner Field. The right-hander gave up six hits, two walks and three earned runs in that loss to the Braves, then bounced back with seven scoreless against the Mets' NL East rivals from Atlanta the next time out, tying a rookie-campaign high in Ks with 11 in that outing.

Since the early-July loss to the Braves, the rookie starter was (5-0) in five starts, over which he put up a 1.04 ERA in 34 ⅔ IP, walking six (1.56 BB/9) and striking out 37 (9.60 K/9) while holding opposing hitters to a combined .198/.235/.230 line.

On the road this season before today, the DeLand, Florida-born starter was (3-2) with a 3.59 ERA, a 2.59 FIP, 18 walks (3.40 BB/9) and 46 Ks (8.69 K/9) in eight starts and 47 ⅔ IP in which he held opposing hitters to a combined .246/.320/.339 line. He was facing the Nationals and pitching in the nation's capital for the first time this afternoon.

deGrom's first start in D.C. began with a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 first.

Adam LaRoche doubled to right to start the bottom of the second inning, connecting on a 94 mph 2-2 fastball from deGrom. Ian Desmond spit on back-to-back 1-2 sliders outside to work the count full and then crushed a 93 mph fastball, sending a line drive into the left field bullpen for a two-run blast and a 2-0 lead. The blast snapped a streak of 67 innings in which the Mets' right-hander had not allowed a home run. 23-pitch second for deGrom, 33 pitches total after two.

Jacob deGrom hadn’t allowed a HR since June 5. @IanDesmond20 emphatically ended that streak: http://t.co/PZM6X0eBzU

— MLB (@MLB) August 7, 2014

Denard Span extended his on-base streak to 33-straight games with a one-out single in the Nationals' third, but he was doubled up on a grounder to third off Anthony Rendon's bat. Seven-pitch frame for deGrom, 40 pitches total after three.

Adam LaRoche doubled to left field with one down in the Nationals' fourth and scored from second on a line drive to left-center by Ian Desmond. 3-1 Nationals. 22-pitch frame for deGrom. 62 pitches total after four.

Jose Lobaton singled to right to start the Nats' fifth and was bunted over to second by Jordan Zimmermann who /gave up an out. Denard Span singled to center, moving Lobaton to third, but was caught stealing by a catcher for the first time this year when he tried to take second with Anthony Rendon up and was thrown out by Anthony Recker. Rendon's fly to left ended a 14-pitch frame by deGrom, who was up to 76 pitches after five.

Adam LaRoche walked with one down in the sixth, but deGrom struck out the side. 21-pitch frame, 97 total after six.

• Jacob deGrom's Line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 1 HR, 97 P, 63 S, 6/5 GO/FO.

2. Turning Point(s): Nationals' shortstop Ian Desmond stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third with a runner in scoring position at second, having gone 1 for 8 one at bat into the third game of three with the Mets and 10 for 54 (.185) over the last 15 games since he homered in a 5 for 5 game against the Rockies in Colorado back on July 22nd. Desmond was facing Mets' right-hander Jacob deGrom, who hadn't allowed a home run in 67 innings on the mound, going back to June 5th. Desmond fell behind 1-2, but spit on consecutive sliders out of the zone outside then took a 3-2 fastball for a ride for a line drive home run that landed in the left field bullpen, giving the Nationals a 2-0 lead early in the series finale in the nation's capital. #spitspitbang

Matt WIlliams made the decision to lift Jordan Zimmermann after the right-hander gave up two singles in the seventh. Williams turned to Drew Storen with switch-hitting outfielder Eric Young, Jr. and lefties Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy due up instead of going to a lefty and spinning EY around to the right side (where he has a .193/.220/.246 line as opposed to a .236/.335/.315 line vs RHP). A wlid pitch from Storen moved both runners up. Young lined to right-center for a sac fly. Granderson singled to center and it was all tied up at 3-3.

1. The Wrap-Up: Drew Storen took over on the mound with runners on first and second and one down in the seventh and bounced a 2-2 pitch by Jose Lobaton to move both runners into scoring position. Eric Young, Jr. lined one into the right-center gap that Jayson Werth somehow tracked down. Sac fly though, and 3-2 Nationals when Wilmer Flores scored. Curtis Granderson stepped in with the tying run on second and lined an RBI single to center to tie things up at 3-3. Jerry Blevins came on to face Daniel Murphy and got a groundout to second to end the inning.

Thanks to the 38,611 fans who joined us on this gorgeous afternoon at #Nats Park! pic.twitter.com/LAe6EkzEXb

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 7, 2014

Mets' right-hander Vic Black took over on the mound in the bottom of the seventh and threw a scoreless 10-pitch frame.

Tyler Clippard retired the Mets in order in a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 top of the eighth.

Denard Span was 3 for 4 today after singling to center off Black to start the Nationals' eighth. Anthony Rendon K'd looking at an 0-2 bender for out no.1. Jayson Werth lined to right for a one-out single, ending Black's afternoon.

Josh Edgin came on to face Adam LaRoche, who worked the count full... and... K'd chasing ball four out of the zone. Jeurys Familia came on to face Ian Desmond and got a groundout to first to end the threat.

Rafael Soriano retired the Mets in order in a quick, eight-pitch, 1-2-3 ninth.

Familia came back for the bottom of the ninth and threw one by first on a one-out bunt attempt by Asdrubal Cabrera. With Jose Lobaton up, Familia bounced one in the dirt that got away from Anthony Recker allowing Cabrera to take second. Lobaton walked to bring Steven Souza, Jr. up. Souza fell behind 0-2 quickly and took a fastball outside for a called strike three. Dana Eveland vs Denard Span? Force at second.

Free Baseball!! Though the Nationals entered extras 3-8 in extra inning games this season.

Matt Thornton took the mound in the top of the tenth and retired the Mets in order in an 11-pitch, 1-2-3 frame.

Buddy Carlyle retired the side in order in the bottom of the tenth.

Craig Stammen gave up a hard-hit fly by David Wright that Denard Span handled. Lucas Duda K'd chasing a 2-2 sinker out of the zone outside. Eric Campbell grounded out to short. 11-pitch inning, 13 straight Mets set down.

Carlyle came back out and gave up a one-out single to right by Bryce Harper, but nothing else.

Stammen took the mound again in the twelfth, gave up a two-out walk, but finished another scoreless inning.

Jenrry Mejia took over for the Mets in the bottom of the twelfth inning and gave up a one-out single by Denard Span and a two-out single by Jayson Werth, but Adam LaRoche K'd swinging to sent it to the thirteenth.

Stammen, in his third inning of work, got two quick outs with five pitches before David Wright lined a double to left-center field. The Nats gave Lucas Duda the intentionals to get to Eric Campbell, who grounded back to the mound to end the top of the thirteenth.

Carlos Torres took over for the Mets in the bottom of the inning and issued a leadoff walk to Ian Desmond before giving up a two-run home to left by Bryce Harper!! Walk-off winner!!!

Nationals now 62-51

The Mets lost in 13 innings as Bryce Harper hit a walk-off two-run home run against Carlos Torres.

Bryce Harper's game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the 13th inning ensured a Nationals series victory and the Mets' fifth loss in their last seven games.

Harper took Carlos Torres, the Mets' eighth pitcher on the day, out of the park to the opposite field. To that point, the Mets' bullpen had tossed six scoreless innings in relief of Jacob deGrom, who was just ordinary rather than superhuman today. deGrom gave up three runs over six innings, striking out four and walking run. He surrendered a two-run home run to Ian Desmond in the second inning, and an RBI single to Desmond in the fourth.

The Mets were down 3-1 in the seventh inning when they score two runs to tie the game against Jordan Zimmermann and Drew Storen. Curtis Granderson's RBI single was the tying blow. In retrospect, it would have saved us some time, and the bullpen's arms, if our heroes had simply lost in nine innings. The Mets' bats went near-silent after that seventh inning, managing just three baserunners in innings eight through 13.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; her effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

Despite pitching a scoreless 12th and wanting to carry on into the 13th, the Mets' closer was pulled from the game by Terry Collins.

A tough Mets loss to end an important stretch against the Nationals appears that it will sting a little more.

Days after being hampered by a lower back issue on Monday, Jenrry Mejia had to fight through a tight calf that kept him from pitching the 13th inning. He did pitch a scoreless 12th despite allowing a pair of hits in today's loss to Washington.

Mejia was willing to go back out, but was pulled from the game by Terry Collins. He was replaced by Carlos Torres, who subsequently dealt a leadoff walk to Ian Desmond before surrendering a two-run walk-off home run to the slumping Bryce Harper to hand the Nats the series victory.

Collins explained the reasoning behind the move after the game:

He said, ‘Well, if we get the lead, I can go back out.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m not going to lose you for six weeks for two outs or something. If you pull that thing, you’ll be done.’

Mejia didn't think the injury was all that serious. Adam Rubin at ESPNNewYork.com reported that the Mets' closer had the calf massaged before the game and told the team he was ready to go. After the game, the right-hander said that it wouldn't "affect (him) to be ready tomorrow."

An injury to the most important part of their bullpen would have been bad enough for Mets fans, but to have him pulled from a game in which he and his manager had differing opinions about his health—and then have his replacement end up with the losing decision—certainly adds a bit more fuel to the fire as the team heads up north to visit the Phillies for a four-game set.

Your Friday morning dose of New York Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.

Meet the Mets

The Mets battled the Nationals for 13 innings on Thursday afternoon, finally falling to Washington when Bryce Harper hit a two-run, walk-off home run off of Carlos Torres.

Recap Parade:Amazin' Avenue, MLB.com, New York Times, ESPN New York, New York Post, New York Daily News, Newsday, Star-Ledger

After pitching a scoreless 12th inning, Jenrry Mejia was all set to go out for the 13th, but he was pulled by Terry Collins because of a sore calf.

The series loss to the division-leading Nats has prompted David Lennon to request that the Mets stop pretending to be contenders.

Jon Niese has tweaked his delivery in order to reduce stress on his arm.

More strikeouts this weekend in Philly will equal more savings for Mets fans during the upcoming homestand.

MiLB.com has a feature about two lesser known Mets pitching prospects, John Gant and Robert Gsellman.

Around the NL East

Harper's game-winning blast may help lay to rest some of the controversy surrounding the young star and manager Matt Williams.

During Miami's 7-2 loss to Pittsburgh last night, reliever Dan Jennings was struck in the head with a line drive. It was a scary moment, and Jennings has suffered a concussion, but it could have been worse.

Michael Jong at Fish Stripes is trying to wrap his head around his team's recent move to release Jacob Turner.

The Phillies took Throwback Thursday to a new level, coming from behind to defeat the Astros with a Ryan Howard grand slam.

Earlier on Thursday, Philly general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. finally pulled the trigger on a deal.

If Amaro really wants to make a splash, though, he'll snag some prospects from the Cubs in a Cole Hamels deal.

Atlanta fell again to Seattle, finishing up a brutal road trip for the Braves.

Around the Majors

Rumored Mets trade target and current Cubs second baseman Javier Baez has three home runs in three major league games after hitting a pair of dingers in Denver last night.

In the Dodgers' 7-0 win over the Angels, Yasiel Puig showed off all the range.

Also on the west coast, Jon Lesterdominated the Twins in a 3-0 Oakland win.

This year's Mariners are doing a better job of preventing runs than the 2001 Seattle team that recorded 116 victories.

Kayla Roncin of Toms River and Mo'ne Davis of Philadelphia are each vying to become the 17th girl to ever play in the Little League World Series.

Yesterday at AA

Michael Avallone compared our Mets to the San Francisco Giants teams that have won two of the past four World Series.

Wesley Jia examined how Lucas Duda has changed his approach at the plate this season.

Episode 80 of Amazin' Avenue Audio is now available.

On this date in 1997, the Mets traded Lance Johnson, Mark Clark, and Manny Alexander to the Cubs for Brian McRae, Turk Wendell, and Mel Rojas.

Trenton, NJ- There’s arguably no bigger jump in the minors than from A-ball to Double-A. After two years of professional baseball, Brandon Nimmo is already there.

Add to that, the Mets 1^st round pick (13^th overall) in the 2011 MLB Draft didn’t play baseball in high school, and the impressive nature of Nimmo’s story grows.

He began the 2014 season in the High-A Florida State League, playing 62 games and hitting .322/.448/.458 with 25 RBI, and worked 50 walks in 227 at-bats for the St. Lucie Mets. That led to a league All Star Game nod. Since his promotion to Binghamton, he’s hitting .221/.352/.396, tacking on 19 more RBI, 29 walks and hit five home runs in 41 games.

The Eastern League has provided some challenges for him, particularly in June when he hit .171 in 11 games. He picked it up in July, hitting .243/.355/.447 and .316 in his last 10 games, but he’s facing them without changing much.

"The only difference is the balls I’ve put in play are not as hard", Nimmo said last week. "The strikes and walk ratio are not too much different. They’re a little bit more consistent here. It doesn’t feel overpowering, it’s just going to take time to get on track and have a little more consistency on balls I put in play."

When he debut in the New York Penn League in 2012, you couldn’t doubt his talent. But he also seemed like a seasoned professional, far older than his eighteen. He lacked arrogance, but not aggressiveness on the field at the plate. The kind of player a major league team hopes for. He went on to play 69 games for the Brooklyn Cyclones, finishing the season hitting .248/.376/.406 with 66 hits in 69 games.

Since then, he’s worked on putting on weight to increase his strength, participating in a rigorous off-season program. He also remained in Florida to devote more time to improving during the winter.

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He wanted to develop more power, but not to the point of over-focus. Overall, though, he said he feels a difference in his swing. And where the ball goes.

"I think it’s been good. I’ve showed some power [in this league]. Four to five of my home runs have been to left field or left center, and I didn’t do that before this year. I think it’s paying off. There’s still more to be tapped into," he said.

Power hitters tend to try for power, a habit that can adversely affect them. Nimmo insists he won’t start going to the plate with intent to hit the ball out of the park.

"It’s a byproduct of getting stronger, but I don’t go up there to try and hit home runs. I do think the better I get in my game, the more home runs I"ll hit. It’s not something I try to do."

Since his professional career began, he’s made changes to his game, but not so much that he’s trailed away from the Mets plan. They’ve encouraged his aggressive approach, with a focus on how to apply that aggression and when. A big physical kid, Nimmo has had to learn when to lay off pitches he can’t handle.

"It’s that controlled aggression. I’m getting walks. If I don’t get my pitch, I don’t have to swing. There are times to be more or less aggressive," he said.

Overall, as this season winds down, Nimmo acknowledges results of his efforts this season in Double-A. But there’s also been growth in his ability to relax, and not press.

"I’ve worked on having better rhythm with the pitcher. I have better confidence each day. But it’s also, don’t be mechanical and stiff. Have fun, put the work in, and let the chips fall where they may."

Observations from Jessica: Nimmo led off for Binghamton that night, and got started with a hard-hit single up the middle. His two-strike approach was impressive. The 'controlled aggression' he talked about was obvious right away. He held up on a pitch outside, and with two strikes, attacked a fastball in the middle of the plate. Definite affirmative on increased power. He scored a run later in the inning, and as he was when in Short-A ball, he's a smart base runner with good speed.. He struck out later in the game, late on a fastball that he couldn't handle. He's physically filled out more and his approach is very much the same, patient, aggressive, but definitely smarter. He looks like he's still getting comfortable with more advanced pitching in the league.

Matt Harvey's outspokenness and brash attitude may not be popular with Mets executives, but that doesn't make it any less interesting.

We should have known what we were witnessing. A hot July night in the Phoenix desert made only hotter when then 23-year-old Matt Harvey stepped onto a big league mound for the first time and delivered 11 strikeouts over 5.1 shutout innings. The flame-thrower continued his meteoric rise, culminating with his selection as the starting pitcher for the 2013 National League All-Star team. An elbow tear and ultimately Tommy John surgery derailed what was shaping up to be one of the best seasons by a Mets starting pitcher in club history, but it didn't dampen Harvey's brashness and spirit.

The New York sports landscape is littered with unique characters. Babe Ruth was larger than life on the diamond and off. The "Old Prefessor," Casey Stengel was a media darling as was Yogi Berra. Reggie Jackson was the straw that stirred the drink for the Yankees and "Broadway" Joe Namath played second fiddle to no one. The bright lights of New York have devoured many an athlete, but the special ones have thrived here. So far, Harvey has taken to the Big Apple like a moth to a flame, often to the Mets' chagrin.

The native of New London, Connecticut quickly made it clear that he not only wanted to pitch and succeed in the major leagues, but to dominate. In fact, Harvey was beginning to show his brash demeanor all the way back in 2011 when he told the Post:

"I play the game to win, I play the game hard, the way it should be played. I want to be great, and I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen. I’m never satisfied."

Is there a better description of Harvey's bulldog mentality than him pitching through a bloody nose in May, 2013?

But not all of Harvey's popularity stem from his pitching exploits. Never shy with the press or in the spotlight, Harvey is often seen at Madison Square Garden taking in a Knicks game or watching his beloved New York Rangers. Of course the press eats it up, photographing him and his supermodel girlfriends from every possible angle. Speaking of photography, Harvey left nothing to the imagination with his appearance in ESPN the Magazine's 2013 The Body Issue. Then came his hilarious skit on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon prior to last year's All-Star game, vaulting him into the national spotlight.

Of course it hasn't all been smooth sailing. As outspoken and spotlight-hungry as Harvey is, there are bound to be hiccups. An interview published in the August 2013 issue of Men's Journal quoted him as saying:

[Derek Jeter] is the model. I mean, first off, let's just look at the women he's dated. Obviously, he goes out—he's meeting these girls somewhere—but you never hear about it. That's where I want to be."

Harvey responded to the interview by saying he was "embarrassed" and that the piece didn't accurately portray who he really was. He also mentioned wanting to earn a $200 million contract, bold talk for a player who had just over one year of major league experience at the time the interview appeared in print.

Then there is Twitter, the darling of so many athletes who continue to use it as a sounding board without realizing how much trouble they can cause themselves. Harvey's Twitter account currently has more than 100,000 followers, but it was his infamous middle-finger tweet on April 22 of this year that temporarily caused him to delete his Twitter account when the Mets asked him to remove the photo. He has also taken to Twitter to loudly proclaim he plans on pitching in 2014, something he reiterated just recently after throwing off the mound for the first time since surgery last October.

All of this attention and buzz may have made him a fan favorite, but it has clearly caused the Mets' front office angst. General manager Sandy Alderson has all but definitively ruled out Harvey stepping on a big league mound this season and made it known back in February that his prized right-hander would not be the focus this year.

"The thing that maybe I should try to make clear at the very outset of this camp is that the story for 2014 is not Matt Harvey. The story for 2014 will be the other 25 players that we have active."

Things only got more tense between the club and Harvey when he threatened to go to the player's association after Mets public relations maven Jay Horwitz tried to stop him from conducting a one-on-one interview with Andy Martino of the Daily News. The incident stemmed from Harvey's desire to remain with the Mets when they were in New York and rehab there, as opposed to spending the entire summer in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

"I expressed that seven months in Port St. Lucie is a long time. For me, I strongly felt that my best opportunity, and my motivation to come back quicker, stronger, work harder would be to be with the teammates. That’s kind of what I have always said.  I have worked so hard to get to the big leagues and be with this team, it just felt like all of a sudden I was shooed to the back."

Simply put, the Mets need to lighten up. You would think that a franchise that is on the edge of apathy in its relationship with its fan base would enjoy one of their own drumming up interest. Yet for some reason, the Mets' brass still quake in their collective boots from the memory of the hard-partying players of the mid-1980s, ignoring the fact those clubs constituted the franchise's most successful period in its 53-year history.

No, the Mets want their team to be boring, whether they admit to it or not. But continuing to muzzle and butt heads with a personality like Harvey is a mistake. Sure, there will be the occasional eye-rolling and throwing-hands-in-the air moments. You take the good with the bad, and compared to many of today's modern athletes, Harvey's outspokenness is nothing more than innocent fodder.

While David Wright still holds claim as the face of the Mets, he has always carefully chosen his words, choosing to go the route of the more robotic Jeter. There is nothing wrong with that. Wright is one of the classiest players in the major leagues, but when it comes to generating charisma and excitement, he falls far short of his teammate. Wright exudes the class and grace of Frank Sinatra. Harvey, on the other hand, is Elvis Presley: young, energetic, and rebellious.

The Mets would be wise to appreciate what they have in Harvey on and off the field and let him be who he is, before he himself becomes as bland as his bosses.

The Washington Nationals beat the New York Mets in an extra-inning affair on Thursday, with Bryce Harper hitting an opposite field walk-off blast in the 13th inning to send the Nats to Atlanta on a positive note.

A day after he upbraided members of the media in Nationals Park on Wednesday over the coverage of some comments he made in a radio appearance in the nation's capital about 21-year-old slugger Bryce Harper in response to a question about potentially sending the 2010 no.1 overall pick to the minors to work out his offensive issues, first-year Washington Nationals' skipper Matt Williams sat at the podium after Harper hit a walk-off winner in the 13th inning of the Nats' series finale with the New York Mets.

"So, Bryce staying up here with you guys?" a reporter joked.

"Yeah," Williams said. "That was a good swing. He had a couple of good ones today. It's coming. Happy for him. Happy for our guys. They battled."

Harper went 2 for 6 with a run scored, two RBIs and two Ks.

The Nats' third-year outfielder was 0 for 4 before he singled to right in the 11th.

The next time up, he faced Mets' reliever Carlos Torres with a runner on after Ian Desmond walked to start the 13th.

Torres started Harper with ball, then threw him a 91 mph fastball knee-high and over the middle of the plate that Harper sent the other way and three or four rows deep into the left field seats for a walk-off blast, his fourth HR of the year and his first opposite field blast since last August.

The fact that Harper went the other way was a good sign according to Williams.

"It's even better," he said. "That he's seeing it, letting the ball get deep, waiting. That's a good sign. We had a lot of opportunities, it didn't happen. But that one was really good. He stayed on that one really well."

Harper told reporters after the game, that he wasn't sure what Torres threw him, and he was just trying to barrel something up.

"I was actually going to go look and see what it was," Harper said, "because I was just trying to barrel something. It got to the point where I was just trying to get something out, over, and try to punish it and I got a pitch that I could drive and I was happy with the result."

The two hits in the third game of three with the Mets left him 3 for 13 in the three-game series with New York, 5 for 25 so far in August, 6 for 29 on the homestand and 24 for 107 since he returned from the DL on June 30th.

"I've been feeling pretty good lately," Harper said. "I just have to keep battling, keep grinding, keep coming in trying to work hard and get my swing back where it needs to be. Hopefully in the next month and a half I can get it going and everybody has been picking up my slack pretty much and everybody has been swinging the bat well and hopefully I can get it going."

After going 4-4 at home against the Phillies, Orioles and Mets, the Nationals head down to Atlanta to start a three-game set with the Braves, who are 4.5 games behind the Nats in the NL East as the series starts.

"We're just going to go in and play some games," Harper said when asked about the importance of the weekend series.

"We're going to try to win some ballgames, of course," Harper said. "Atlanta's very good. They're very good at home and they just came off an eight-game losing streak, so they're going to want our throat. Hopefully we can go in there, we've got three good starters going and hopefully we can win some ballgames."

Asked if it was important for him to end the homestand on a high note after struggling at the plate in recent weeks, Harper said he didn't necessarily think things were as bad as some might.

"I don't think I'm struggling, struggling that bad to the point where, 'Man, he looks terrible,'" he said. "I think, of course I've been struggling a little bit, but I've hit some balls that have just been right at people sometimes, you've just got to tip your cap and play this game.

Nationals 5-3 over the Mets in 13 innings on Bryce Harper's walk-off home run

Photo © H.Darr Beiser/USA TODAY Sports

"The game is pretty humbling sometimes, but like I said, I just want to have fun, and try to come in here, laugh and smile and hopefully at the end of the day we can win ballgames and get to where I need to be."

Matt Williams was happy to get the win, especially with Harper contributing, and head off to Atlanta on a positive note, but before he finished his post game press conference with reporters, he took a moment to address his comments from the previous day.

"One last thing," he said. "I didn't sleep much last night. So I wanted to apologize to the members of the press about my actions yesterday. I get passionate about these guys and their success and our wins and losses, but that was -- my tact wasn't real good. So, from me to you, I apologize for that, I'll be better from now on."

This week in 1999: The Mets travel west as Orel Hershiser and Kenny Rogers rile the Giants and Robin Ventura buries the Padres.

In years past, the left coast was where many a promising Mets season went to die. The Mets hoped to buck that historical trend when they traveled to San Francisco on August 13 to begin the first of three westward trips scheduled for the tail end of their 1999 campaign.

With PacBell Park set to open the following season, this would be the Mets’ last visit to Candlestick Park (called 3Com Park in its last year hosting baseball), and few would be sad to see the old icebox go. Earlier in the season, while still with Colorado, former Giant Darryl Hamilton believed he’d already played his last game at the ‘Stick, and as the Rockies’ team bus left the stadium in the rearview, he shot the joint a ceremonial one-gun salute. The Mets offered little more than obscene gestures against young Giants lefty Russ Ortiz in the series opener, while Masato Yoshii—pressed back into the starting rotation thanks to Rick Reed’s finger injury—was victimized by a Luis Lopez error and home runs by Rich Aurilia and Marvin Benard in a 3-2 loss.

The following day, Giants general manager Brian Sabean played sore winner and sniped to the San Jose Mercury News about being strung along in offseason negotiations with Orel Hershiser. "He never really gave us the time of day," the GM sobbed about a spring training bidding war that eventually landed Hershiser with the Mets. The Giants players took Sabean’s lead and attempted to unnerve the 40-year-old by laying down bunts in his general direction. Hershiser responded by working his sinker expertly in Candlestick’s blustery confines, and a big day at the plate from Mike Piazza (booed lustily by the locals for his days in Dodger blue) provided more than enough offense for a 6-1 Mets win.

The loss to Hershiser bugged San Francisco, but their defeat at the hands of Kenny Rogers in the series finale drove them up the wall. Back in June, while still with the A’s and in a fit of anger after a lousy start, Rogers had destroyed a bank of phones in Candlestick’s visiting bullpen. When he arrived back in town with the Mets, the Giants presented him with a bill for $1,700 worth of damage. "They tacked things on," The Gambler grumbled, as if arguing with a waiter over a check. "I’m not talking to them."

He then proceeded to toss the first complete game for a Mets pitcher in 139 games stretching back to 1998. It was hardly a dominating start, as Rogers allowed a pair of homers that put his team in an early 3-0 hole, but his teammates responded by beating up Livan Hernandez, who they’d already abused in four pre-trade deadline starts with the Marlins. Robin Ventura knocked Hernandez out of the game with his third grand slam of the season, and the Mets’ offense refused to let up on San Francisco’s bullpen as it cruised to a 12-5 win. For good measure, Rogers attempted to bunt for a base hit in the eighth inning with his team already up by six runs. Later, he professed to be unfamiliar with hitting etiquette due to his years in the American League.

The Mets then traveled to San Diego to take on a Padres team they’d swept away at Shea a few days earlier.Octavio Dotel flirted with history in their first game at Qualcomm Stadium on August 16, taking a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh, but after issuing consecutive walks to start that frame, he allowed a three-run blast to Phil Nevin, giving San Diego a 3-2 lead. Edgardo Alfonzo bailed out Dotel all by himself, singling and scoring the tying run in the eighth, then hitting a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the tenth, as Mets eked out a 4-3 win. They fell by the same score the next night when Al Leiter showed uncharacteristic wildness and walked eight batters, but recovered with a 9-1 shellacking the following evening. Ventura belted a three-run shot in the first inning to put the Mets on top to stay while Yoshii went the distance, retiring 16 Padres in a row at one point. When asked about the MVP numbers he’d put up so far, Ventura responded in typical Ventura fashion, "It’s a lot better than stinking up the place."

The 4-2 West Coast trip gave Bobby Valentine enough confidence to compare this team favorably to the Mets of 1998. "I didn’t like my team at the end of last year," . "I didn’t think we were all that good. We were a scrappy team doing the best we could….I thought we had to fight the environment most days….We were hoping against hope that Todd [Hundley] would regain his form. There were a lot of inconsistencies and unknowns. [In 1999] we have a better group of guys. They are more mature, they’re more professional, more together group of guys than last year’s."

Catch up on all of the hottest performers from around the Mets farm system!

Time for another temperature check on the hottest performers in the Mets farm system!

With September in sight it seems prudent not only to gauge who's getting hot for the stretch run, but for those guys in the upper minors, who might be preparing for a late-season call-up to Queens.

Matt den Dekker, OF

Triple-A Las Vegas 51s

It's no secret that MDD has been killing the game ever since returning to Triple-A from his last stint with the big club. He's batted .402/.487/.665 with four home runs in 45 games; soak that in because that is not a small number of games. Yeah, I know -- it's the PCL. And yes, he's 27-years-old. But I must have missed the part when the Mets became so flush with proven hitters that they could not benefit from learning more about someone who is already in the organization and plays the same position as a player or two ripe for DFA.

Say what you will about his long term prospects, den Dekker should not be in Las Vegas. Sandy's reasoning for promoting Kirk first had to do with the immediate need for a platoon/bench guy -- to replace Abreu -- and Kirk's experience and relative success (at least this season) in that role. That leads me to believe that whenever den Dekker does get the call he'll be playing most every day -- in other words we're waiting for the club to jettison a Young, likely Chris.

Photo credit: Gordon Donovan

Cesar Puello, OF

Triple-A Las Vegas 51s

Despite continued deployment as a not-quite-everyday player, the enigmatic outfielder has done a good job of showcasing the skills that will help get him to the major league level. Namely, he has exhibited a career-high 8% walk rate in 2014 while continuing to showcase a very effective approach on the basepaths (i.e., 13 stolen bases, 1 caught stealing).

The problem has been a somewhat ineffectual bat; he's hitting just .243 with four homers. However, he posted a .917 OPS in July, his .338 mark against lefties is immensely better than the Mets' current right-handed corner outfield option has produced, and a 21:29 walk-to-strikeout rate since May has helped buoy his on-base percentage through the cold stretches.

Whatever he is long term, Puello is showing the kind of skills you like to see from a reserve outfielder at the big league level while teasing the kind of tools that portend more upside than that. The problem is that he's clearly going to have to change some opinions within this organization to get that chance. I do believe we'll see him for a brief cup in September -- perhaps sooner if the club decides to supplant Chris Young with a righty -- but it's anyone's guess how the club will handle his tenuous position on the 40-man after that. In short, if he's smart he's leasing, not buying.

Matt Reynolds, SS

Triple-A Las Vegas 51s

The 23-year-old has appeared on pretty much every one of these reports this season. That's what happens when you bat .344 -- including .463 with a pair of homers in his last ten games.

There's not much more I can say about Reynolds aside from confirming that yes, he is indeed a major league baseball player. At what level, you ask? A Justin Turner, average-dependent backup middle infielder once seemed fair. Now? That's probably more the floor with a ceiling slightly higher -- perhaps Mike Aviles is a fair comp? (who is basically just a premium version of Justin Turner).

The key here is that -- though the ISO has jumped this year (see evidence below) -- the central component for Reynolds is his batting average and batting average fluctuates more than most any metric. (Remember: Juan Lagares batted .349 in the minors, too.) That is not to say that Reynolds' 2014 is a mirage; reports of a mechanical overhaul help the case for legitimacy. It just means that in the absence of any other standout tools/skills he'll certainly ride the BABIP waves hard -- some years for the better, others for the worse.

Jack Leathersich, LHP

Triple-A Las Vegas 51s

What's funny is that the 24-year-old reliever hadn't been markedly improved over the the past month or so before his recent promotion to Triple-A. Sure his 3.18 ERA in July was fine but 15 strikeouts in 11 innings is actually pretty low by Leathersich standards and the walks are still an issue.

That said, it's clear that the organization values his swing-and-miss capability and views him as a real option for the major league bullpen at some point. Additionally, after walking 12 over his first 22 innings with Binghamton this season, he handed out half that many free passes over his last 22 innings. He's another guy we may see for a few innings come September.

Photo credit: Gordon Donovan

Hansel Robles, RHP

Double-A Binghamton Mets

It would seem that the long-awaited move to the bullpen has finally transpired as the 24-year-old Robles has worked in relief in each of his past five appearances. And the good news is that after a slow decline in his efficacy as a starter over the past couple seasons, he's looked much stronger in short bursts.

Specifically, he has allowed just one earned run over his last five games -- four being of the multi-inning variety -- while striking out over a batter an inning. The real key here will be whether Robles will see a sustained uptick in his stuff out of the 'pen as hitters just have not found him very difficult to hit since his otherworldly 2012 in Brooklyn.

Greg Peavey, RHP

Double-A Binghamton Mets

The 2010 sixth-rounder has been on a stellar run of late --allowing one run or fewer in five of his last six starts. Combined he had allowed seven runs over his last 41.2 innings pitched and this was nothing new for the 26-year-old righty. All told Peavey has posted a 2.79 ERA in 13 starts for Binghamton after a rough Triple-A debut earlier in the season.

All that said, it's still tough to project Peavey in a big league role. The so-so velocity, superb command profile generally doesn't translate well at the major league level, especially as Peavey often lives in the high-80s. That said, as he continues to sharpen the secondary offerings he will try to follow in the footsteps of Logan Verrett, who is currently having success in Las Vegas and will likely get a shot in a major league bullpen before all is said and done.

Photo credit: Bryan Green

T.J. Rivera, INF

Double-A Binghamton Mets

The 26-year-old Bronx native just keeps proving the scouts wrong. After going undrafted out of Troy University in 2011, all Rivera has done is hit at each and every level. He's exhibited an innate ability for putting the barrel on the ball and this season has been no different; after posting a .341 average in St. Lucie, Rivera is currently up to .346 through 34 games with Binghamton.

The rest of his game is so-so at best: He's a versatile defender that is capable, but not spectacular anywhere in the infield. The power and speed are nothing to write home about. But it's the hit tool -- and the fact that he can handle the middle infield -- that will carry him going forward. Rivera is probably the closest likeness of Justin Turner the Mets have had since the erstwhile backup infielder/pinch hitter extraordinaire left the organization. No word yet on whether Rivera too is innately clutch.

Domingo Tapia, RHP

Advanced-A St. Lucie Mets

He certainly hasn't been lighting the world on fire. But a 2.35 ERA in four July starts is indeed progress for the big righty. More than anything the uptick in strikeouts last month was a welcome sight -- this after he posted just 3(!) strikeouts for the entire month of June. Hopefully this is a sign of more good things to come.

Unfortunately, 2014 still looks like a pretty major step back for Tapia. Considering the fact that he's actually posting worse numbers in his second shot at this level -- always a dreaded sign -- it's getting close to time to pull the plug on his once lofty ceiling. There's no reason not to continue the course for the remainder of 2014 but it's becoming clear that a move to the bullpen might be the last, best option here. Most concerning to me -- even more so than the disappearing strikeouts -- is that his groundball rates barely resemble the pitcher with the devastating sinker of old.

Gavin Cecchini, SS

Advanced-A St. Lucie Mets

After a slow start to his St. Lucie career, the 2012 first-rounder is turning things around, batting .343 over his last ten games. The secondary skills have still been rather sparse as any signs of significant power and/or speed have been lacking. That said, he's walked seven times in his last ten games versus zero strikeouts. Cecchini seems to be showing us that he fits the Matt den Dekker mold of players who exhibit a pretty consistent adjustment period at each new level before they get their feet under them.

Photo credit: Gordon Donovan

Miller Diaz, RHP

Class-A Savannah Sand Gnats

After missing nearly two months due to injury, the hard-throwing righty has bounced back nicely, allowing just two runs over his first 14.1 innings since returning. Specifically, he had the best start of his season -- and perhaps his career -- on Tuesday night in a seven-inning, complete game, three-hit shutout of Charleston.

The speedy return to form is a good sign for the 22-year-old who has dominated with a powerful mid-90s fastball to this point. The fact that he's basically managed to maintain or, in the case of his walk rates, actually improve pretty much every metric upon advancement to full-season ball in 2014 is also a positive development. While it indicates that his heater is still likely too much for his opponents, it also tells us that the secondary skills are improving.

John Gant, RHP

Class-A Savannah Sand Gnats

Gant continues to do Gant things -- in short, overwhelm his opponents with an overall package of size, stuff, and pitchability that is a little surprising that the Mets were able to find in the 21st round in 2011. Specifically, the 22-year-old Savannah native boasts good command of a solid repertoire, running his fastball into the low-90's while showing advanced feel for a change-up.

It's a right-handed profile that will be tested thoroughly by more advanced competition; but the good news here is that he's already managed to add a couple ticks on the heater with professional guidance. If he can manage to find a couple more as he fills out his projectable frame he's got a shot at the back of a major league rotation.

Photo credit: Gordon Donovan

Robert Gsellman, RHP

Class-A Savannah Sand Gnats

You can pretty much just re-read what I had to say about Gant. The 21-year-old Gsellman has been excellent all season, and even better lately posting a 2.16 ERA over his last nine starts and allowing more than two earned runs in just one of those games. Grabbed in the 13th-round of the same 2011 draft, Gsellman is another guy that mixes a nice package of size and stuff from a late-round selection.

At 6'4", 200 lbs, Gsellman features an even sturdier frame than does Gant. And if he's tapped out in terms of velocity -- he's already touching the mid-90s -- he certainly has a build that portends the kind of added stamina to take that later into games. Also like Gant, the strength of his fastball and solid-enough secondaries are plenty for Class-A hitters. In any case, both Gsellman and Gant seem to fit firmly into the next wave of potential Mets starters coming through the system, though both will have a lot to prove at the next levels.

Michael Conforto, OF

Short-Season Class-A Brooklyn Cyclones

Potent bat? Check. Goofy profile photo? Check. The Mets first-round selection in June waited a little while to get his pro career underway, but now that he has Conforto has not disappointed. The big righty is hitting .333 through his first 19 games with plenty of the power and patience we expected from such an advanced college bat. What's more, scouts have been impressed with the swing as he's showcased easy power from the left side in his transition to the pro game. It's clear to most observers that the 21-year-old is just getting his feet wet in Brooklyn -- we'll learn much more about him in a more challenging environment next spring in Savannah.

Photo credit: Gordon Donovan

Marcos Molina, RHP

Short-Season Class-A Brooklyn Cyclones

With a 1.27 ERA through eight starts, not to mention over a strikeout an inning paired with very solid command, Molina is living up to the quickly-growing hype around him in Mets prospect circles. It's clear watching him that at just 19 he's a very gifted physical specimen. In short, he's a man-child. With a special mid-90s fastball he can and does impose his will on NYPL hitters. The feel for the secondaries is there -- a good sign at such a young age -- but frankly that has not really mattered to this point; the fastball is far above the level of the competition.

It's also clear when you see him that the mechanics aren't ideal. I won't pretend to be a scout here, but for any Mets fan weened on the old drop-and-drive trope it's plainly apparent that Molina uses his lower half not much at all. Based on the highly-advanced repertoire I'd say that the delivery is the main factor to watch as he develops. Based on his athleticism and physicality alone it's fair to wonder if there's more in there. Conversely, concerns about a long-term home in the bullpen are also fair. It should be interesting to watch over the next few years -- in the meantime he's going to do a lot of damage.

Wuilmer Becerra, OF

Rookie-Level Kingsport Mets

At 19, the throw-in from the Dickey trade is still all kinds of raw. That said, he's making large strides this season in terms of actualizing his big potential and it's paid off of late as he just came off a .349/.391/.558 July where he knocked four home runs and stole four bases.

Again, he's a long way from the big leagues. Specifically, the approach at the plate still needs work (6:38 BB-to-K).. But the tools are in place to project for a cornerstone outfielder if all breaks right.

For the second straight week, the Mets will end a series with a Monday matinee. Set your calendars accordingly.

What's going on with the Phillies?

The Phillies took a lot of heat for not making any major moves prior to the July 31 trade deadline. After all, this is a team that's a far cry from the playoffs and in desperate need of a rebuild. Lately, though, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has begun to loosen his vicegrip on some of the team's veterans. The pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona has been dealt to the Dodgers for what appear to be spare parts. It's not a big move, but it's an indication that Amaro is at least starting to trade experience and dollars for youth and flexibility.

A bigger move for the Phillies would be trading franchise cornerstone Cole Hamels. With still four years left on his contract after this one, sending away the ace lefty would feel like a concession that a massive rebuild is underway. On the other hand, if the Phils hold onto Hamels, they can draw more fans to the park, rebuild around him, and maybe have one or two good years of pitching left when the team is ready to compete again.

Just yesterday it was reported that the Cubs had claimed Hamels on waivers, which means Chicago and Philadelphia have two days to work out a trade if the Phillies are serious about moving the pitcher. It's more likely that the Phils will just pull Hamels back and entertain more offers for him over the winter -- there's no rush in trading a player on such a large contract -- but Amaro has to be intrigued with the depth of prospects that the Cubs have to offer.

Who are these guys?

We've already talked a lot about the Phillies so far this year, so here we'll take a look at a pair of prospects that could be up in the big leagues in the near future.

Maikel Franco is a 21-year-old third baseman who is currently playing for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley. Although he's hitting just .248/.296/.397 this season, Franco is quite young to be so close to the majors. His lofty prospect status comes mostly from his rise last season through the Florida State League (Advanced-A) and Eastern League (Double-A). With over 60 games at each level in 2013, Franco posted a wOBA above .400 with a combined 31 home runs to prompt the promotion all the way to Triple-A in 2014. The Phils already have a third baseman of the future in Cody Asche, but Franco appears to have a bat that will play anywhere. That means a move to first base could be in his future if the team is ever able to get out from under Ryan Howard.

While Franco may be considered Philly's top hitting prospect, the title of best pitching prospect in the system is up for grabs. Coming into the year, Jesse Biddle was that guy. The lefty from Philadelphia posted dominant strikeout numbers at Double-A last year thanks to a devastating curveball, but issues with his command (over five walks per nine in 2013) have forced him to repeat the level in 2014. This season, Biddle has posted a 5.03 ERA without improving his walk rate very much, so his ascent to the majors is temporarily on hold. The new best arm in the system may now be Aaron Nola, who was chosen seventh overall in the 2014 draft. A polished right-hander out of LSU, Nola looked sharp in his Double-A debut the other day and appears to be on the fast track to the majors.

Who's on the mound?

Friday: Bartolo Colon vs. A.J. Burnett

Burnett appeared to be squarely on the trading block when he shutout the Giants for eight innings on July 23. Since then, however, the veteran right-hander has stunk up the joint. He was blasted by the Mets just three days before the trade deadline and in his most recent start he didn't even make it out of the second inning against Washington. With the Phillies looking to make room for players like Biddle and Nola in 2015 and beyond, you have to figure they are working to find a new home for Burnett sometime this month.

Colon is another pitcher who many didn't figure to be pitching in the NL East after July 31. Although a recent rough outing versus San Francisco ballooned Colon's ERA to 4.12, his low WHIP and walk totals mean he could still be an appealing trade target for teams fighting for a Wild Card spot. That status will only be helped if Colon can post another strong start against the Phillies, who have only scored three runs off of the right-hander in 14.2 innings this season.

Saturday: Dillon Gee vs. Cole Hamels

One of the reasons that Hamels isn't likely to be traded this summer is that he has built up equity with the Phillies' fan base and has more value to the organization than any other. Another reason is because Hamels is going through one of the more brilliant stretches of his career. In his past four starts, Hamels has pitched a total of 30 innings with 33 strikeouts, two walks, and just three runs allowed. One of those outings was against the Mets, who Hamels shutout for eight innings on July 29.

Gee is going to have to be on the top of his game to match Hamels, so it was a good sign that the right-hander pitched into the sixth inning against the Giants earlier this week while allowing just two runs. Gee's first game back from a lat injury on July 9 was a highly successful one against the Braves, but since then he's been shaky. He needs to get back to using his changeup effectively like he did on Monday if he's going to solidify a spot in the Mets' crowded future rotation.

Sunday: Zack Wheeler vs. Kyle Kendrick

With a 4.74 ERA for the season, Kendrick isn't much better than replacement level at this point. He initially broke into the majors as a guy who got a lot of ground balls, but Kendrick only gets them 45 percent of the time this season. He's also allowed 17 home runs, which isn't terrible for pitching in Philly, but with mediocre strikeout and walk rates, Kendrick has to be good at something to stick around the majors. Right now, he doesn't have on particular asset that stands out.

Wheeler's recent string of great pitching makes this matchup look lopsided on paper, but the 24-year-old was fortunate to only give up just one run against Washington on Tuesday. Proponents were quick to point out that Wheeler showed "maturity" by pitching around trouble, but really this recent outing was different from the excellent ones that preceded it. Wheeler walked five batters and was repeatedly bailed out by his defense on double plays and a great throw to the plate by Eric Campbell. Yes, it's great that a guy was able to limit damage in an outing when he reportedly didn't have a curveball, but let's not pretend it was a step forward for Wheeler, who has previously done a great job improving his command in 2014.

Monday: Jon Niese vs. David Buchanan

Another Cliff Lee injury and the trade of Roberto Hernandez have made room on the major league roster for Buchanan, who spent most of July in the minor leagues despite a pair of solid major league starts during the month. As a seventh round draft pick in 2010 who never struck out many batters in the farm system, Buchanan isn't exactly a shining beacon of hope for the Phils, but he could be a future backend starter if his command stays true. The 25-year-old right-hander looked solid in his return to the majors this week against the Astros, and the rest of the season will be a good chance for the Phillies to see what they have in him.

Like Gee, Niese is fighting to maintain his presence in the Mets' rotation despite the rising tide of young arms. Also like Gee, Niese's stuff has not inspired much confidence lately. On Wednesday he was mauled by Washington for six runs in six innings, and it's now been more than a month since Niese has pitched six innings in a start while allowing three runs or fewer. He's reportedly tweaked his delivery recently to reduce stress on his arm, but Mets fans would really just like to see some results from the lefty in the near future.

Prediction: Mets desperately need a sweep, but Hamels is living on another planet right now, so they settle for three out of four.

What abut some highlights?

The Astros tried messing with the Phanatic's ATV this week, so he responded by abducting their field reporter.

The furry guy also had some fun with umpire Laz Diaz.

The legend of Lucas Duda would only be greater if Ben Revere had not made this terrific catch back on July 30.

Make sure you check out FanDuel.com for exciting one-day fantasy leagues!

The Washington Nationals could use a long outing from Stephen Strasburg tonight after their bullpen took a beating in the series finale with the Mets. Here's the Nats' lineup for the series opener in Turner Field...

Thursday's 13-inning game with the New York Mets did a number on the Washington Nationals' bullpen. Nats' skipper Matt Williams told reporters after the walk-off win that his relievers were in bad shape heading into this weekend's three-game set with the Atlanta Braves, but stressed that it was important to win the series finale in the nation's capital.

"It's one of those games where you have to do it, you have try to win," Williams said.

"Eighth, ninth inning, you get your guys in there to get you back in the dugout to get another swing at it. And there were some chances there. But we just have to do it."

"It was important to win this game. So we'll have to deal with it going forward. But we have to just keep going. There's no choice but to play well if we're going to beat them."

The weather in Atlanta might give the Nationals' 'pen a break after Drew Storen, Jerry Blevins, Tyler Clippard, Rafael Soriano, Matt Thornton and Craig Stammen all took the mound yesterday.

They'll allegedly be playing ball here in about 4 hours: pic.twitter.com/EmDloeLT77

— Mark Zuckerman (@ZuckermanCSN) August 8, 2014

The Nationals, if they play, will not have Jayson Werth in the lineup tonight. Steven Souza, Jr. is listed as the starting right fielder. Williams talked after Wednesday's game about Werth being banged up and wondered if he would play the third game of three with the Mets.

"Jayson has got a little shoulder that's been bothering him a little bit," Williams told reporters. "Tonight he was a little tight in his neck, so rather than risk it in that game, we thought we'd get Steven in there. So we'll see how Jayson is tomorrow, but he's been a little tight for the last week or so."

The problem, Williams said, is with his right shoulder.

It's from swinging," he explained. "He took a funky swing about a week ago and it's been lingering, it's nothing serious, but if we get a chance to get him out of there, we'll do that."

No word from Atlanta yet on whether it's the shoulder forcing Werth out of the lineup tonight.

Werth just needs a day, Williams says. Shoulder and ankle are sore, and Werth played all 13 innings yesterday. Doesn't seem serious.

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) August 8, 2014

• Here's the Nationals' lineup for the series opener with the Braves:

Matt W.'s Lineup, Fri. @ ATL/G113: Span cf, Cabrera 2b, Rendon 3b, LaRoche 1b, Desmond ss, Harper lf, Ramos c, Souza Jr. rf, Strasburg rhp.

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 8, 2014

• Here are the Nationals and Braves' lineups:

The Mets will look to their young players as the 2014 season winds down.

The New York Mets will look to evaluate the young players on their roster for the rest of the year, according to the Star-Ledger's Mike Vorkunov. The Mets will playWilmer Flores more regularly and give Kirk Nieuwenhuis an extended look in the outfield. ESPN's Adam Rubin also suggested that Lucas Duda will begin to play regularly against left-handed pitching, as he looks to be the permanent solution at first base.

In regard to contention, the move comes as the Mets have slipped to seven games under .500, nine games back in the division, and eight back in the Wild Card. Even with significant input from the young players, the Mets likely still have too little time and too many teams in front of them to be able to make their way into playoff position.

With the focus now shifted to 2015, the Mets can still take considerable steps to potentially salvage this season. Our own Nicholas Iorio suggested that the Mets would benefit by designating Chris Young for assignment. One can also wonder if a call-up for either Cesar Puello or Matt den Dekker is on the horizon, as the Mets look to evaluate the young talent that could help them next season and beyond.

This may sound familiar, but the Mets are seriously thinking about cutting ties with the disappointing outfielder.

Chris Young avoided the chopping block earlier this season, but the Mets are once again considering letting him go.

According to ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin:

"the Mets are considering releasing Chris Young and promoting Matt den Dekker from Triple-A Las Vegas soon rather than waiting until rosters expand on Sept. 1 and carrying both players."

Similar reports spread in late June, but the 30-year-old promptly salvaged his roster spot by belting three home runs in the ensuing two games against the Oakland Athletics. Maybe the Mets will just keep threatening to cut him once every month for the brief jolt of production he responds with.

Young, whom the Mets gambled on with a one-year, $7.25 million deal, is hitting a robust .205/.283/.346 with a minus-0.4 fWAR. They took a flier on him returning to the 20/20 man of old when he patrolled the outfield for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he has instead matched his dismal output from last season.

Matt den Dekker, on the other hand, is hitting .334/.407/.540 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. The 26-year-old hasn't displayed that same success in the majors, batting .184 in 112 career plate appearances with the Mets, but his defensive work draws ample praise.

This goes along with the team's declared dedication to youth during the closing stretch. There's no point in playing a failed signing that has worn out his welcome, so they might as well move on with den Dekker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis vying for the final vacant outfield spot.

Endlessly entertaining Mets hitter and sometimes starting pitcher Bartolo Colon achieves a career milestone in Philadelphia.

Bartolo Colon went eight innings for the Mets tonight, allowing just one run on six hits, walking none and striking out six on his way to career win number 200. Dana Eveland and Jenrry Mejia conspired to make a ballgame of it, transforming a 5-1 ninth-inning lead into a 5-4 nail-biter. With the tying run on third, Mejia struck out pinch hitter Reid Breignac looking to end the game.

The Mets offense battered and abused Phillies starter A.J. Burnett, racking up five runs on eleven hits through six innings, capped by Travis d'Arnaud's eighth homer of the season in the fifth inning. Curtis Granderson, Daniel Murphy, and Wilmer Flores each went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and even David Wright got in on the action with a 2-for-5 night.

GameThread Roll Call

Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; her effort in the GameThread embiggens us all.

The struggling outfielder has been DFA'd as the team's youth movement continues.

It only took the Mets a little over ten minutes after their 5-4 victory over the Phillies to make a move with embattled center fielder Chris Young.

The Mets have designated outfielder Chris Young for assignment

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 9, 2014

The move isn't all that surprising, especially with rumors swirling before the game that Young would be outright released by the club. Young never showed the form that he displayed in seven seasons with the Diamondbacks, and was nowhere close to the player that hit 27 home runs and drove in 91 RBI in a 2010 season that saw him named a National League All-Star. In 88 games with the Mets, he hit just .205 and eight home runs while driving in 28, a far cry from what the team expected when they signed him to a one-year, $7.25 million deal in November. Further making Young expendable: Juan Lagares and his strong defensive play in center throughout the season.

It looks as if Young's replacement on the roster will be Matt den Dekker, who was pulled from his game with Triple-A Las Vegas during the first inning to apparently join the club in Philadelphia for tomorrow night's game against the Phillies:

Apparently den Dekker @UpperDekker played a very good Top of the 1st. pic.twitter.com/95rCsOW4e9

— Las Vegas 51s (@LasVegas51s) August 9, 2014

This would be den Dekker's second tour of duty with the team this season; he was up during late May and through mid-June, going 7-for-45 with two doubles. He has been lighting it up with the 51's: .331 with eight home runs and 46 RBI while recording a .533 slugging percentage.

It's important to note that this is being reported by the team as a DFA, not an outright release, but it appears Young's tenure with the Mets has all but come to a close.

Alderson on Chris Young: "At some point you have to move on."

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) August 9, 2014