Nationals game blog: Pressure-packed finale in the Big Apple

By Josh Land

Nationals

August 02, 2015, 3:27pm

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FLUSHING, N.Y. - With 60 games left in the season, the Nationals hold a slim one-game lead over the Mets in the National League East heading into tonight's series finale. Washington has been on the wrong side of two narrowly contested one-run ballgames the last two days in playoff-type atmospheres.

"I think it's great," said Jayson Werth after the second-largest crowd in Citi Field history showed up Saturday night. "It's been a long time since we've come to play the Mets and they've had a packed stadium. It's good for baseball. It makes it fun. It's fun playing games like this. The fans are into it, there's a bunch of people there.

"I don't think it adds any pressure or anything like that. It just makes for an exciting night of baseball and a good atmosphere. We welcome the challenge."

The Nationals could use Werth's bat to heat up. The 35-year-old is just 3-for-17 (.176) with five strikeouts since returning from the disabled list on Tuesday.

This is the end of a long 11-day, 10-game road trip for the Nats. They've gone just 3-6 to this point and hold a 26-29 record on the road this season.

Bryce Harper has hit safely in eight of nine games on the trip, going 11-for-34 (.324) with two homers, three doubles, four walks and four RBIs.