After surviving bullpen drama for the second night in a row, the visiting New York Mets will go for a three-game series sweep of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
Mets right-hander Luis Severino (3-2, 3.52 ERA) will oppose Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin (1-6, 5.83) in the finale.
Severino experienced an up-and-down May, alternating between outings in which he allowed four or more earned runs and stars in which he gave up two or fewer earned runs. He ended the month by beating the Atlanta Braves despite yielding five runs (four earned) on six hits over 5 1/3 innings on Friday.
“I was feeling a little down the first couple innings, a little like … low energy,” said Severino, who helped himself to some energy snacks in the second inning. “It got me way better after that.”
Severino won his only career start against Washington, tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings last Aug. 23.
Corbin’s days in the Washington rotation appeared numbered until this week. Josiah Gray (elbow/forearm) is closing in on starting a rehab stint, and his return could have bumped Corbin out of the starting staff. However, Trevor Williams (forearm) went on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, leaving a potential spot open for Corbin.
Since playing a key role in Washington’s 2019 World Series championship run, Corbin is 28-63 with a 5.64 ERA, and he is in the final year of his contract. His latest outing was one of his best of the season, as he took a loss despite allowing just two runs on six hits over six innings against the Cleveland Guardians, who won 7-1 on Friday.
“Good lineup over there,” Corbin said. “You try to minimize damage as best you can. It just wasn’t our night tonight.”
Corbin is 8-11 with a 4.83 ERA in 28 career games (27 starts) against the Mets. Pete Alonso is hitting .318 with five home runs and nine RBIs in 44 at-bats vs. Corbin.
Alonso hit one of New York’s two homers on Tuesday. Harrison Bader had a two-run shot, and David Peterson pitched 6 2/3 effective innings in a 6-3 win. Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Alonso and Bader each had two of the Mets’ 13 hits.
“For (Peterson) to go back for the seventh, when we haven’t gotten much lately from the starters … and to go out and continue to make pitches, that was good to see,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He got a lot of quick outs that allowed him to get deeper in the game, but it was a good outing and we needed it.”
Once again New York’s bullpen made it interesting. The Mets entered the ninth with a 6-2 lead, but Reed Garrett walked the leadoff batter, Jesse Winker, who later scored on Jacob Young’s two-out single. Lane Thomas, representing the potential tying run, flied to short right to end it.
“We missed a lot of pitches,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “We beat the ball in the ground today. I looked back during the game at some of the pitches we swung at. They were over the heart of the plate.”
Young had three hits and drove in two runs for Washington, and Winker scored three runs. CJ Abrams returned after missing three games with a shoulder issue and went 1-for-4 with a walk.
–Field Level Media