Mets vs. Nationals has all the makings of a great rivalry and matters even in May
What the Mets and Nats do in May will make a difference come September
By
Jonah Keri
•
5 min read
Sports rivalries can be tough to build and even tougher to define. A history of antagonism between two teams is a must. Geographic proximity helps, though it's not mandatory. Then, even if you have all of that, you need present-day tensions to make them boil over. Two teams with very different records, or younger players who don't remember the old fights between the two, might not get too charged up about a rivalry.
Four days after finishing a three-game set in New York, the Mets and Nationals took the field again on Monday, this time in D.C. for the first of a three-game set. These two teams battled for NL East supremacy for most of last season, with one late-July series at Citi Field ranking as one of the most dramatic regular-season battles the sport had seen in years. They're 1-2 in the division again this year, with just a game and a half separating the two clubs.
A fiercely competitive recent past, an Acela ride away from each other, and a tight race that could go right down to the wire this year. So can we call this a rivalry? Well ...
Max Scherzer playing long toss with an 11-year-old Mets fan in the bleachers doesn't exactly evoke memories of Kevin McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis or Chris Nilan cold-cocking Terry O'Reilly. And while Scherzer acknowledges the quality of the Mets roster, he doesn't view the matchup as a life-or-death struggle by any stretch.
"Obviously, we know this is one of our biggest rivals and one of the best teams in the NL East," Scherzer said Thursday at Citi Field. "They won the division, went to the World Series and earned all the respect. At the same time, it's May. You've just got to grind out every single game -- whether it's the Mets, Marlins, Phillies, or anyone else."
Both teams enter this week's series short-handed -- one due to injury, the other one by choice.
Lucas Duda hit the disabled list over the weekend with a stress fracture in his back. That setback, combined with injuries to starting catcher Travis d'Arnaud and utilityman/2015 folk hero Wilmer Flores, leaves the Mets with one of the most short-handed infields in baseball. Light-hitting backup Eric Campbell gets the assignment for now at first, but Queens' finest are so strapped for infield talent, David Wright even volunteered to go across the diamond if needed. While the pitching staff is back to full strength following last week's successful return by Steven Matz (seven innings, two runs, three hits, no walks, eight strikeouts against Milwaukee on Friday night, after missing a start because of forearm soreness), Nats pitchers likely won't see the Mets this low on talent for the rest of the year.
Though it is still just late May, the importance of the matchup isn't lost on those still healthy enough to take the field. Even some newly acquired players grasp the implications of these games.
"I think we understand that the road to win this division runs through these guys -- even though two other teams we'll be facing are playing well, too," said second baseman Neil Walker, who spent his entire big-league career with the Pirates before joining the Mets last offseason. "If you were here [all last week at Citi Field] and heard the crowds get up for those games, that gives you a good indication of what the crowds will probably be like [in Washington], and what this rivalry has become."
For the Nats, the roster restrictions stem from some curious stubbornness by management. Starting shortstop Danny Espinosa entered the series as one of the least productive regulars in the majors, batting a porous .206/.313/.294. Meanwhile top shortstop prospect Trea Turner is batting a robust .317/.381/.466 at Triple-A Syracuse, with a perfect 15-for-15 stolen-base mark and solid defense. The Mets do theoretically catch a bit of a break on the pitching side, with Scherzer (as well as impressive young righty Joe Ross) not starting in this series, theoretically defraying some of the edge the Nationals might've reaped with Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom not starting in this series. Then again, Scherzer's 3.80 ERA is actually the worst of Washington's starting five, no mean feat considering Scherzer is just two starts removed from his 20-strikeout masterpiece.
One factor to watch could be the battle of the bullpens. The Nats rank second in the National League in both ERA and Fielding Independent Pitching, thanks to a deep stable of effective right-handers. Shawn Kelley leads all National League relievers with a microscopic 0.67 FIP, as well as an unblemished 0.00 ERA; in 15 innings pitched he's allowed just 10 hits, issued one unintentional walk, and punched out 21 batters.
The only NL team better than the Nationals out of the pen this year? The Mets, who lead the majors with a collective 2.33 ERA and 2.59 FIP. Jeurys Familia gets the headlines with his 15 saves. But Familia is actually the only reliever among the bullpen's top six to strike out less than a batter per inning this year, with Addison Reed, Hansel Robles, Jerry Blevins, Antonio Bastardo and Jim Henderson combining for 107 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings. If these teams end up tied in the late innings, don't be surprised if we see an extra-innings marathon at some point in this series.
A 33-year-old veteran who didn't throw a single pitch in the majors last year and has been around so long he was actually drafted by the Montreal Expos, Henderson is enjoying life in the NL East. Asked how he and his bullpen mates intend to approach Bryce Harper with the game on the line, Henderson said he hasn't received specific instructions on that scenario yet, or anything resembling the marching orders Joe Maddon gave his pitchers when the Cubs gave Harper the Barry Bonds treatment. As for competing against the Nats, as well as the much improved Phillies and Marlins, Henderson said he sees an advantage when it comes to facing tougher competition in the NL East this year.
"It probably will help keep you sharp throughout the year," said Henderson. "So when you go into matchups, you don't underestimate it."
They won't underestimate it now, nor in the 13 other times the Mets will play the Nats even after this week's series ends. And while opinions might differ as to the extent of this rivalry before Memorial Day, check back in September ... when we might have a full-blown dogfight on our hands.
