There won’t be playoff spots on the line when the visiting New York Mets and Washington Nationals conclude their season on Sunday afternoon, but there will be several players to watch.
For Washington, left-hander DJ Herz (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will make his second start since his return from Tommy John surgery as he looks to be part of the Nationals’ 2027 rotation.
New York outfielder Carson Benge will seek to finish an impressive weekend and continue a run at National League Rookie of the Year honors.
Washington’s James Wood and CJ Abrams will try to provide fireworks for the Nationals’ faithful who brave the dubious weather forecast that pushed the game’s first pitch from 3:05 p.m. to 1:05 p.m. ET.
New York will start veteran left-hander Sean Manaea (6-7, 4.67 ERA) in the finale. Manaea, who began the year in the bullpen, has one year remaining on his three-year, $75 million contract, and that season could be spent as either a starter or a reliever.
The 34-year-old is coming off a 6-3 win Tuesday against the Texas Rangers in a game in which he gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits in six innings. Manaea struck out nine and walked two.
“Sean, if he takes advantage of this offseason and really gets after it, and he’s back at the 94, 95 [mph] range, his stuff really, really plays,” Mets manager Andy Green said.
Manaea is 1-3 with a 5.48 ERA in nine career games (seven starts) vs. Washington.
Herz, 25, made his first start since 2024 on Monday in a 9-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers and gave up four runs on five hits over four innings.
“You definitely have to flip that switch [out of rehab mode],” he said. “… Getting that first one under the belt again, there were a lot of good moments that I feel were DJ Herz, and then there are some moments that we need to get a little bit better at. We’ll figure it out.”
Herz is 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA in three career appearances vs. the Mets.
On Saturday, rookie A.J. Ewing hit a three-run homer and Ronny Mauricio hit a pair of home runs in New York’s 7-1 win.
Benge, 23, had three hits, including a double, and made a highlight-reel diving catch in right center. Over his last nine games, he is hitting .441 with two home runs, six RBIs and seven runs. He has multiple hits in six of his last 12 games and raised his season batting average to .280.
“I feel like that (Rookie of the Year) is a huge award, and there’s a bunch of guys in the running — one being [pitcher Nolan McLean] in this clubhouse,” Benge said of the honor. “But I feel like there’s a lot of good players in there, and winning that would be amazing.”
New York’s Juan Soto was hit on the right hand by a pitch in the ninth inning. He left the game, but X-rays were negative.
The highlight for Washington was three scoreless innings by left-hander Connelly Early — obtained from the Boston Red Sox in July while on the injured list — in his Nationals debut.
“I thought he looked really good,” Washington manager Blake Butera said. “He attacked hitters, he wasn’t afraid, [he] threw a ton of strikes. I was happy with the performance.”
Wood had two hits for Washington. He needs one homer to match his career high of 31. Abrams will look to add to his career-high totals in home run (33) and RBIs (105).
–Field Level Media
