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Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets at a Glance
Washington Nationals (60-63) vs. New York Mets (53-69)
Pitching Matchup: LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-3, 3.76 ERA) vs. RHP Robert Stock (0-2; 10.13 ERA)
Date: Friday, August 14 ,2026. | 7:10 p.m. EDT | Game: #123 | Road Game: #60
Location: Citi Field | Queens NY
Washington Nationals game storylines and notes and why this game matters.
Tonight the Washington Nationals will kick off a three-city road trip by first facing the New York Mets in New York. After this weekend’s series the Nationals will travel to Texas and then off to Miami to finish off the road trip at the end of next week.
The Washington Nationals are scheduled to sen left-handed pitcher Andrew Alvarez to the mound who has a 2-3 record and an ERA of 3.76. The New York Mets are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Robert Stock to the mound who has a 0-2 record and an ERA of 10.13.
The Nationals are in the midst of a stretch of 39 games in 41 days that started on July 24 and runs through Sept. 2. The Nationals are looking to avoid the sweep at the hands of the Cubs and were last swept by Chicago, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2024 at Nationals Park.
The Nationals have been better on the road then at home and this gives the team another opportunity to stay in the Wild Card Race in the NL. The Nationals are 13-5-1 in road series this season and are 10-9 in series openers on the road. [Read our Game Preview on our Washington Nationals Game Live Blog]
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Washington Nationals Schedule
Up Next…
On Deck…
Tomorrow, the Washington Nationals will play game two of their three game series against the New York Mets. The Nationals have yet to name their starter for the game, however, the New York Mets are planning on sending left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea to the mound who has a 4-5 record and a 4.13 ERA.
Be sure to follow us across all of our digital platforms for updates on who the Washington Nationals are going to start on Saturday.
In the hole…
On Sunday the Nationals are scheduled to send RHP Jake Irvin (2-6, 5.79) to mound and are scheduled to face RHP Christian Scott (3-3, 3.45) from the New York Mets.
That’s an A+ for you!
Andrés Chaparro and Abimelec Ortiz have provided a major offensive boost recently, combining for an especially productive stretch at the plate.
Since the All-Star break, Chaparro ranks third in Major League Baseball with a 1.056 OPS and fourth with a .673 slugging percentage. In 20 games over that span, he is batting .288 (15-for-52) with a .383 on-base percentage, five doubles, five home runs, 21 RBIs and 12 runs scored.
Ortiz enters play on a five-game hitting streak, batting .467 (7-for-15) with three home runs, seven RBIs and four runs scored during that stretch. He has struck out only twice in his last five games and has driven in at least one run in four of them.
Washington Nationals Player Profile: Dylan Crews
Dylan Crews has reached base safely in 19 of his last 24 games, collecting six doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs, 10 walks, three hit-by-pitches, three stolen bases and 13 runs scored during that stretch.
Crews has hit nine home runs in 393 plate appearances this season after belting 10 homers in 322 plate appearances in 2025. He has also performed well against left-handed pitching, batting .292 (26-for-89) with five doubles, four home runs, nine RBIs and nine walks.
Three of Crews’ longest career home runs have come this season: a 442-foot blast on June 20 at Tampa Bay, a 440-foot homer on June 12 against Seattle and a 432-foot shot on June 6 at Arizona.
With runners in scoring position, Crews is batting .219 (14-for-64) with one home run and 16 RBIs. His most recent homer came July 28 against Toronto’s Connor Van Eyk, and he has 22 career home runs.
From the Washington Nationals Dugout
Washington Nationals SS CJ Abrams
Photo by All-Pro Reels
“Notes from the Washington Nationals Dugout” compiles key game notes, recent performances and notable milestones from across the roster.
Below is a quick snapshot of standout trends and individual highlights during the current stretch.
Keep on Rolling: Harry Ford enters play riding a five-game run-scoring streak, the longest active streak in Major League Baseball. He has also recorded an extra-base hit in four consecutive games, the third-longest active streak in the majors.
Daylen Lile has continued to swing a hot bat, going 9-for-24 (.375) with a double, a home run, nine RBIs, one stolen base and four runs scored over his past six games. He has recorded a hit in five of those six contests.
Keibert Ruiz has been one of the National League’s most productive hitters since Aug. 2. Over seven games, Ruiz leads the NL with a .436 batting average and ranks second with a .519 on-base percentage among players with at least 25 plate appearances. He is 10-for-23 with a double, three RBIs, four walks, two strikeouts and four runs scored, reaching safely in six of the seven games.
Jacob Young is batting .455 (10-for-22) over his last seven games, adding two doubles, a triple, a home run, five RBIs and five runs scored. He has also drawn two walks, been hit by two pitches and struck out only once while recording hits in six of the seven games.
SEE YOU LATER!! The Nationals have emerged as Major League Baseball’s top home-run-hitting club, leading the majors with 177 homers—eight more than the New York Yankees’ 169. The Nationals’s power surge has been especially pronounced since May 6. After entering that day with 41 home runs, the 12th-most in MLB, the Nationals have hit 140 homers, the most in baseball over that span and 20 more than the second-place New York Mets. Additionally, seven Nationals players: CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, Luis García Jr., Daylen Lile, David Mead, James Wood and Jacob Young have reached double digits in home runs. That is the franchise’s highest total of 10-homer hitters since the 2019 Nationals had 10 players accomplish the feat.
On the mound for the Washington Nationals
Andrew Alvarez
Left handed pitcher Andrew Alvarez is coming off a strong outing against Cincinnati on Aug. 8, when he allowed one run on three hits and one walk over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two in the start.
Tonight marks Alvarez’s second career start and third overall appearance against the New York Mets. He is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA (six earned runs in 7 1/3 innings) against New York, with nine strikeouts and two walks.
Alvarez enters the matchup having gone 51 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing a home run, the longest active streak among Major League starting pitchers. His last homer allowed came on June 3, when Miami’s Esteury Ruiz hit a solo shot that clipped the left-field foul pole. Alvarez’s 0.26 home runs allowed per nine innings this season ranks second in MLB among qualified pitchers with at least 65 innings, behind only Max Fried’s 0.21 mark.
His curveball has been a key weapon. Opponents are batting just .189 (18-for-95) against the pitch, with only five extra-base hits, while Alvarez has recorded 41 strikeouts with his curveball—the most of any pitch in his arsenal.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS BY THE NUMBERS
The Washington Nationals have the following records.
Day: 27-26 | Night: 33-37| Home Record: 27-36 | Road Record: 33-27
Month Record: 5-7 | Current Streak: W1 | Previous Month Record: 11-13
A.L. Teams: 22-17 | N.L. Teams: 38-46 | N.L. East: 11-24
vs. LHSP: 23-18 | vs. RHSP: 37-45
Series Opener: 17-22 | Series Opener on Road: 10-9 | By Series: 21-16-2
White Script Nationals: 11-20 | Red Curly W: 6-4 | City Connect: 5-4 | Blue Jersey:13-14 | Road Gray: 25-20 | 42: 0-1
Important information about the Nats Report Game Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, all times listed are in the Eastern USA Time Zone.
Please note that Game Notes will not be updated in the event of lineup changes, postponements, or cancellations by the Washington Nationals.
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Baseball-Reference, the Washington Nationals, and MLB.com provide the stats and content unless otherwise noted. The Nats Report isn’t responsible for the accuracy of the stats provided.