Washington Nationals: Storylines to watch this weekend in Queens
By Ricky Keeler
Another audition for Edwin Jackson
There aren’t many spots left on the Washington Nationals postseason roster, but if Edwin Jackson wants one in the bullpen, he is going to have to step up his game in a big way. After being a pleasant surprise in the rotation in July and August, his production has dipped in September.
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Over the last 11.1 innings that Jackson has pitched, he has given up 16 earned runs and seven home runs. Back on September 15, he couldn’t even finish the third inning in a loss to the Dodgers. This could be one of Jackson’s last chances to make a good impression on the coaching staff if he wants a spot on the playoff roster.
However, this might be a bad matchup for Jackson tonight at Citi Field. While the ballpark doesn’t give up too many home runs, the Mets have 86 home runs in the second half (third in the NL). With that being said, 49 of those home runs are from players who are either injured or on another team right now.
If there’s one thing that will help Jackson in this matchup tonight, it’s the fact that the Mets don’t have much experience facing him compared to what the Dodgers had. The only three players with 10+ at-bats against him are Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Norichika Aoki.
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Which storylines are you keeping an eye on this weekend in this Nationals-Mets series? Let us know in the comments section below.