Nationals (74-46) vs. Mets (57-63)
Game » 121
Starters » Gio Gonzalez (15-6, 3.29 ERA) vs. Jeremy Hefner (2-4, 4.76 ERA)
When » Sunday, 1:35 p.m.
Where » Nationals Park, Washington
TV » MASN HD
Radio » 106.7 The Fan FM, WFED 1500, WHFS 1580
Washington is 10-4 against the Mets this season after Saturday’s 2-0 loss. Edwin Jackson was good with two hits allowed and a walk. But Ike Davis’ home run in the seventh inning did him in. Jon Niese just pitched better in 7 1/3 shutout innings.
Nats manager Davey Johnson could have opted to flip left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez with Jordan Zimmermann to get the lefty in against the left-handed heavy Atlanta Braves. Instead he stuck with the status quo.
“I thought about it. But I felt like that it would be better to give [Zimmermann] the extra day rather than having another lefty against Atlanta,” Johnson said on Saturday. “Because certainly Zim is no slouch and I don’t care if he’s pitching against all left handers. He’s proven it – although he hasn’t pitched against Atlanta this year that I can remember. But he’s not a bad choice.”
Johnson had also said he would give shortstop Ian Desmond and outfielder Jayson Werth days off on Sunday. Desmond just returned from his oblique injury on Friday. Werth has been running around on a bad ankle for about a week. But both were kept in the lineup on Sunday against New York.
Gonzalez had his worst outing of the year on July 19 against the Mets when he lasted 3 1/3 innings with six runs allowed. He had no command that day with three walks and just two strikeouts. Gonzalez did bounce back five days later against New York with seven shutout innings. Here are the lineups:
Mets
CF – Andres Torres
2B – Justin Turner
3B – David Wright
RF – Scott Hairston
1B – Ike Davis
SS – Ronny Cedeno
LF – Jason Bay
C – Kelly Shoppach
RHP – Jeremy Hefner
Nats
RF – Jayson Werth
CF – Bryce Harper
3B – Ryan Zimmerman
1B – Adam LaRoche
LF – Michael Morse
SS – Ian Desmond
2B – Danny Espinosa
C – Kurt Suszuki
LHP – Gio Gonzalez
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