Can Gore’s Magic Turn the Tide and Deliver a Shocking Win for the Nationals?

Ever get that nagging feeling you’re watching a slow-motion car crash but can’t look away? That’s kinda where the Mets find themselves right about now — on the edge of the playoff precipice, fumbling through a second-half swoon that’s got fans biting their nails and analysts scratching their heads. Meanwhile, the Nationals are, well, on a very different kind of journey — a season-long struggle that’s less about winning and more about damage control and future scouting. With Sean Manaea taking the hill for the Mets and MacKenzie Gore aiming to keep the Nationals’ dreams alive (or at least salvage a few wins), this matchup at 4:05 ET isn’t just a game; it’s a test of grit, momentum, and maybe a little bit of baseball sorcery. Can the Mets halt their freefall? Will the Nationals provide the upset we didn’t even know we needed? Buckle up — this one’s got layers worth digging into. LEARN MORE.

Mets vs. Nationals, 4:05 ET

I only had one article yesterday, but I had two plays in the article. In what seems to be a theme for this season, I went 1-1 for the plays. I took the Astros and the over for the game. The Astros barely showed up, but thankfully, they showed up just enough to actually get me a few runs. They also allowed seven earned runs. Last week I had a nice week, and we’ve sprinkled some good ones every now and then, but this hasn’t been quite as special of a year as the previous few. Today we look to get a win on the game between the Mets and the Nationals.

The Mets are playing with fire this season. After looking like one of the best teams in the game for about a calendar year, the team has fallen off the cliff, specifically in the second half of the season. The Mets are 67-59 for the year, and the Reds are just one game behind New York for the final Wild Card spot. Even the Cardinals and Diamondbacks are within six games, so at least within striking distance. The Mets collapse is rough, but they might be able to salvage it all. They are 12-17 in the second half of the season. They are looking to get a series victory here after splitting the first two games of the season. Today they send out Sean Manaea to give them that win they need. For the season, Manaea is 1-1 with a 4.78 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He has made only seven appearances for the Mets this year, and the team is 1-6 in his starts. This month has been rough for the club with Manaea allowing at least four earned runs in each of the three starts he has made. Nationals hitters have hit Manaea fairly well, going 12-for-40 over the years. Josh Bell has been the best with four hits in eight chances. 

The Nationals are a dumpster fire this season. They are 24 games under .500 for the year, and they are not much better on the road or at home, struggling in both locations. At this point, I think the only thing that the Nationals can do for the remainder of the year is to try and win at least 11 more games so they don’t drop 100 games. And, the other thing, is to evaluate the talent they have in the minors or even right now so they can figure out what to do to be more competitive next season. Their pitching has been pretty good overall, but improvements could be made in this area as well. Arguably their best pitcher toes the rubber today as MacKenzie Gore takes the mound. Gore is 5-12 with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Gore is 11th in strikeouts which is a positive note for his season. He hasn’t been great at home this year, and two starts ago, he allowed eight earned runs in three innings. He did adjust and has posted back-to-back quality starts. Mets hitters are familiar with him, hitting .258 against him over 120 at-bats.

I don’t think the Mets are going to win this game. Manaea has looked awful lately, and I don’t see him getting much better. Gore does give the Nationals a chance to win in the majority of games. I think there is probably an over, but I’m not going to back it as I don’t really like the way either offense looks, but I’m taking a shot on the home dog with Gore on the mound. I’ll back the Nationals through five. 

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