Nats game blog: Nationals need Zimmermann to help down Mets without Zimmerman available

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

September 08, 2015, 2:24pm

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With the loss Monday, the Mets now lead the season series with the Nationals 8-6. The Nationals are 3-4 against the Mets in D.C. and N.Y.

Even with the loss, the Nationals are still 13-7 in their last 20 games and can still move within three games of the division lead with two wins in this series.

However, Ryan Zimmerman will not start because of left oblique soreness. Lucas Duda has returned to the Mets lineup. He scorched the Nationals with big hits in the Mets' series sweep of the Nationals at Citi Field ending in early August.

And Zimmerman was really on a hot streak himself. He has an 11-game hit streak after his single in the second inning Monday. During the streak, he has 20 hits, four of them doubles, with six homers and 18 RBIs, batting .435.

Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann is 12-8 with a 3.38 ERA in 28 starts this season and is 8-6 with a 3.16 ERA in 23 starts vs. the Metropolitans. He is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA at home against New York in two 2015 starts.

Right-hander Matt Harvey is 12-7 with a 2.60 ERA this season. Bryce Harper is 0-for-17 against Harvey, Jayson Werth is 4-for-16 with a double and two walks, but eight strikeouts.