Game 16 Lineups: Washington Nationals at New York Mets

Tonight in New York, the Nationals visit Citi Field to take on the Mets in their first series of the season. The Mets are 7-7 after being by swept in Colorado, while the Nats recently took two of three from Miami to move to 9-6. New York’s offense is quite potent, ranking in the top five in batting average, on-base percentage, and runs scored. Their pitching, however, has been lackluster, at 23rd in baseball in ERA. Tonight will be a different story, however, as ace Matt Harvey will be on the hill for the Mets. He has a 0.82 ERA and a 3-0 record in three starts this season. The Nationals counter with Stephen Strasburg, who is just 1-2 but has a 2.95 ERA. Danny Espinosa and Ryan Zimmerman will miss tonight’s game with injuries. Here are tonight’s lineups:

Apr 18, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; New York Mets manager Terry Collins (10) walks to the mound during the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. The Rockies won 11-3. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Washington:

Denard Span CF

Jayson Werth RF

Bryce Harper LF

Adam LaRoche 1B

Ian Desmond SS

Chad Tracy 3B

Steve Lombardozzi 2B

Kurt Suzuki C

Strasburg RHP

New York

Jordany Valdespin CF

David Murphy 2B

David Wright 3B

Ike Davis 1B

John Buck C

Lucas Duda LF

Marlon Byrd RF

Ruben Tejada SS

Harvey RHP

Topics: New York Mets, Washington Nationals

Andrew Flax

I've loved baseball all my life. As a kid, I went to O's games with my dad, including Cal Ripken's last game. Fortunately, the Nats came to town just as I was getting old enough to develop a fanhood. I guess I really dodged a bullet there. I was at the first game at RFK and the last, but I'll never forget the first game at Nats Park. Watching Zimmerman's walk-off soar into the night sky was a truly formative experience in my life, and is certainly one of the reasons I'm so passionate about the Nationals now. Comment on my posts or find me on twitter @NatsNation21!