Nationals @ Mets
Citifield-on-IRT Flushing Line
7:10 PM on MASN, SNY, MLB TV
60 degrees forecast, winds W 16 MPH
Erick Fedde (RHP, 1-1, 5.56 ERA / 3.18 FIP) vs. Jacob deGrom (RHP, 1-1, 0.45 ERA / 0.70 FIP)
Cast, in order of appearance at the plate.
NationalsMets
1. Andrew St. Evenson (L) RF
1. Brandon Nimmo (L) CF
2. Josh Harrison, a former Pirate (R) 2B
2. Francisco Lindor (S) SS
3. Thrice Turner (R) SS
3. Dominic Smith (L) LF
4. Josh Bell (S) 1B
4. Pete Alonso (R) 1B
5. Kyle Schwarber, a man of girth (L) LF
5. Michael Conforto (L) RF
6. Starlin Castro, The Knight of the Rounded Cheeks (R) 3B
6. J.D. Davis (R) 3B
7. Yan Gomes, of the Amazon region (R) C
7. Jeff McNeil (L) 2B
8. Victor, Robslesr men of hits (R) CF
8. Jacob deGrom (L) P
9. Erick Fedde, whose very name ends with "k" (R) P
9. Tomas Nido (R) C
Notes - Nats with some success against deGrom? Castro (11 for 36), Turner (11 for 41 with 1 HR), and, small sample Stevenson (3 for 7), and even smaller sample Gomes (3 for 4). Fedde did not face the Mets last year and pitched 5 innings, 1 run in last appearance vs them on May 21, 2019. DeGrom famously was on the mound in the 9/3/19 Cy vs. Cy match up with Scherzer, and, on 9/26/20, gave up 3 runs (2 dingers) in 5 IP, striking out 10.
It is the date that is thought to be the birthday of William Shakespeare. By tradition, Houston-Nat starts the game-day thread and many members post in Shakespearean language. Alas, since our good friend and the finest food critic to ever write about the Nationals now we hope is focusing on Dallas dining experiences, and somehow fortune has shined on Erick Fedde and the Nationals the last two times I started GDTs when he pitched, we are appealing to the jinx fairies to intervene for tonight's game against the Mets.
The betting lines have this as 3:1 in favor of the Mets, and if we are marked to lose, that is enough to do this lineup the loss. And if the Nats win, the greater share of honor G-d's will! Oh do not wish for greater odds. For today is the Bard's birthday. Not Daniel, not Josh, the other one. And like Speigner vs. Santana, should the Nats prevail, fans for generations will bare their arms, get their jabs, oh, wait, that's another subject. The fans will be psyched, and the Nats names, familiar in fans mouths as household words - Fedde, Turner; Stevenson, Castro, Gomes - in the fans flowing Loft cups freshly remember'd. They on the active roster shall be remembered - the 26, the happy 26, the band of brothers. For he today that faces deGrom shall be a brother, be he ne'er so atrocious in wOBA. This day shall revert to the mean his condition. And gentlemen now in Frederickburg at the alternate site or on the injured list shall think themselves accursed to not be in Flushing (at least until the team psychologist works on getting rid of negative thoughts), and we fans shall think ourselves accursed that this game was in Flushing and not Nats Park, where nothing is cheap on game day.
