Ryan Zimmerman is not in the lineup. Anthony Rendon is not in the lineup. Kevin Frandsen is playing third base tonight. The Washington Nationals and the New York Mets start a three-game set in the nation's capital tonight. Here's the Nats' lineup...
New York Mets' starter Bartolo Colon hit a total of three batters in 27 starts and 179 ⅔ IP before his start against the Washington Nationals on September 11th in Citi Field.
Colon hit two Nationals' hitters that night, each time in the at bat after a home run.
The second HBP (on Jayson Werth) got the veteran right-hander ejected from the game in NY.
According to Matt Williams, plan for Ryan Zimmerman was to play today but, he's, "a little bit sore" and will go through some tests today.
— HoldenKushner (@Holdenradio) September 23, 2014He'd already given up seven hits, two walks and six runs, five earned in 3 IP at that point, in what ended up a 6-2 loss to the Nats that night.
Tonight in the nation's capital, Colon makes his fifth start against the Mets' NL East rivals from D.C. in the first game of the three-game set in Nationals Park.
• Here's the Nationals' lineup for the series opener:
#Nats vs. #Mets: Span CF, Cabrera 2B, Werth RF, LaRoche 1B, Desmond SS, Harper LF, Ramos C, Frandsen 3B, Roark P pic.twitter.com/TdDtwXJdFG
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 23, 2014The Nationals start this week's series with a 13-3 advantage over the Mets in the head-to-head matchup between the divisional rivals in 2014. The Nationals went 9-1 in Citi Field this season and they're 4-2 against the Mets after six games in Nats Park.
Tanner Roark takes the mound tonight, after holding Mets' hitters to seven hits and two earned runs in 6 ⅓ IP during the series in Citi Field two weeks back. Last time out on the mound, Roark tossed seven scoreless against the Atlanta Braves in Turner Field, leading the Nats to an NL East-clinching win.
Tonight, Roark is back in Washington, where the right-hander is (6-6) in 14 starts with a 2.50 ERA, a 3.58 FIP and a .238/.290/.343 line against in 90 IP in 2014, he's taking on the Mets again.
• BTW: Mets' GM Sandy Alderson had some nice things to say about the Nationals when he talked to reporters including MLB.com's Anthony DiComo before tonight's game:
Alderson on the Washington Nationals: "That's the level to which we have to aspire. There's no reason why we can't be there." #Mets
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 23, 2014• Game Time: 7:05 PM