Game Chat: Mets vs Nationals, 6:45 PM

Friday, April 25, 2025 • 6:45 PM
Nationals Park • Washington, D.C.
RHP Kodai Senga (3-1, 0.79) vs. RHP Jake Irvin (2-0, 3.68)
SNY

The Mets hit the road looking to extend their winning streak to eight games in the nation’s capital tonight!

What a week it’s been for the club! The Mets completed a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies to go a perfect 7-0 at home and improve their overall record at Citi Field to 12-1. Heading into the last week of April, the Mets have the best record in baseball (18-7) and a five-game lead in the competitive NL East.

The Nationals are starting to hit a stride, winning four of their last six games. They are led by a stronger-than-expected starting rotation and are held back by one of the worst bullpens in baseball.

Similar to the Phillies, the Mets’ batters will need to push starters out quickly and get to the bullpen.

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – RF
3. Pete Alonso – 1B
4. Brandon Nimmo – LF
5. Mark Vientos – 3B
6. Jesse Winker – DH
7. Francisco Alvarez – C
8. Jeff McNeil – 2B
9. Tyrone Taylor – CF

What a start to the season for Kodai Senga! He has a 0.79 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 0.971 WHIP and a 486 ERA+ over four outings and 22 2/3 innings this season. He hasn’t allowed any runs (earned or unearned) in his last three starts (17 2/3 innings), working around 12 hits and six walks while striking out eight. Players are struggling to barrel up his pitches (86th percentile), directly contributing to Senga’s success this so far this season.

The Nationals have the following career numbers against him:

• CJ Abrams 2-3, 2 BB
• Josh Bell 2-5, HR, BB
• Alex Call 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K
• Luis García Jr. 0-4, BB, K
• Keibert Ruiz 0-4, BB

Opposing Lineup

1. CJ Abrams – SS
2. James Wood – LF
3. Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
4. Keibert Ruiz – C
5. Luis García Jr. – 2B
6. Josh Bell – DH
7. Dylan Crews – RF
8. José Tena – 3B
9. Jacob Young – CF

Jake Irvin has a 3.68 ERA, 4.66 FIP, 1.057 WHIP and a 108 ERA+ over 29 1/3 innings and five starts this season. He began the season allowing 10 runs over 16 innings (three outings) and has since allowed only two runs over 13 1/3 frames. Irvin recorded a season-high nine strikeouts against the Colorado Rockies last weekend. He was pretty effective against the Mets last season, holding them to only seven runs on 14 hits over 21 1/3 innings while striking out 15 batters.

The Mets have the following career numbers against Irvin:

• Pete Alonso 1-11, 4 K
• Francisco Lindor 5-10, 2B, HR, 2 K
• Starling Marte 1-2, K
• Jeff McNeil 1-7, BB, K
• Brandon Nimmo 3-12, HR, BB, K
• Juan Soto 0-0, 2 BB
• Tyrone Taylor 1-6, 2B, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 0-9, K
• Jesse Winker 0-3

Game Notes

• McNeil and Alvarez are back in the lineup for the first time this season after completing their respective rehab assignments.
• Per the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the Mets signed left-handed reliever Brooks Raley to a one-year deal with a team option for the 2026 season. The 36-year-old pitched to a 2.48 ERA over 74 appearances for the club between the 2023 and 2024 campaigns before undergoing Tommy John surgery last May.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Changes to the roster. Brett Baty and Hayden Senger were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to clear up roster space for McNeil and Alvarez. Baty was just starting to heat up and hit a massive home run off Zack Wheeler in Wednesday’s game. Senger made a critical play at the plate and did more than enough to keep the Mets afloat with Alvarez down. Neither of them deserved a demotion, but the Mets don’t have enough roster spots to go around. McNeil looks to solidify the Mets as a super utility player, and it will be interesting to see how much time he and Nimmo get in center field in the coming weeks. Alvarez and Torrens are a powerful catching combination on the Mets’ roster. While rehabbing, Alvarez hit only .180/.273/.256 while going 7-for-39 with one homer. We are anxiously awaiting to see if his power comes back.
2. Soto returns to DC. Soto has already returned to D.C. with the San Diego Padres in 2022 (less than two weeks after being traded), and in 2023. Last season, he played against Washington in a series as a member of the New York Yankees. The Padres only play one series a year in D.C., and the Yankees play one essentially every other year there. As a member of the Mets, Soto will now be playing at least two series a season in his old stomping grounds.
3. Francisco Lindor. Lindor went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk on Wednesday. It was his fourth-consecutive game getting on base three times. Over his last four contests, he has gone 10-for-17 with three home runs while hitting .588/.632/1.118 (1.749 OPS). He now has a 147 OPS+. Video game numbers!

Let’s go Mets!

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