Washington Nationals: 5 storylines to watch against reeling Mets

Catching deGrom at right time?

The Washington Nationals have been good against the Mets this year, but two of their three losses have come against deGrom, who has been one of the bright spots for a team that has lost most of its top starting pitchers due to injury.

This season, deGrom is in the top five in wins (13), strikeouts (191), and innings pitched (165), so he has shown he is one of the best pitchers in the National League. However, his last two starts have not been his best.

DeGrom has given up five runs in each of his last two outings. He is 1-4 over his last five starts and has given up five home runs in his last four outings. Despite giving up the home runs, he’s not going to allow many free passes (10 walks in his last 54 innings).

In three outings against the Nats this season, deGrom is 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA and has struck out 28 batters. Matt Wieters and Ryan Zimmerman each have a home run against him this season.

A.J. Cole will have a tall task ahead of him tonight, but keep in mind he did beat Noah Syndergaard last year at Citi Field in September. In his last start at Triple-A, Cole did strike out eight hitters, but he gave up four runs on seven hits, and only lasted four innings.