The New York Mets and Miami Marlins are going to try again

NEW YORK — Thursday to play a doubleheader. It’s hard to imagine the two games going much better for the Mets — or much worse for the Marlins — than their single game went Wednesday.The Mets and Marlins will hope Mother Nature finally cooperates Thursday Chase Utley Jersey , when they are scheduled to close out a four-game series with a single-gate doubleheader at Citi Field beginning at 3:10 p.m.Zack Wheeler allowed four hits over eight shutout innings Wednesday night, when the Mets earned a long-delayed 13-0 win. The two teams were slated to play a single-gate doubleheader because of a rainout Monday, but heavy rain pelted Citi Field for several hours Wednesday afternoon and evening and only one game could be played.Article continues below ...“The challenge is to get back up going again after you’ve sat for so long,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said afterward. “Guys are coming around asking ‘You got any word? You got any word?’ You have to sit six hours and all of a sudden, you have to turn it on like a switch. And they did a pretty good job of it tonight.”Wheeler threw the first pitch at 9:45 p.m., more than 5 1/2 hours later than scheduled. The final out was recorded at 12:15 a.m.“It was the same way (for both teams) — just a long day, a lot of sitting around,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.The originally scheduled starters for Thursday night — Mets left-hander Steven Matz (5-11, 4.17 ERA) and Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (2-0, 0.75) — will square off in the opener.The hurlers who were supposed to start Wednesday’s second game — New York left-hander Jason Vargas (5-9, 6.75) and Miami right-hander Jeff Brigham (0-1, 9.00) — are slotted for the nightcap.With a win Thursday, the Mets (66-78) will assure themselves of no worse than a split for the 10th time in their last 11 series. New York is 7-1-2 in its last 10 series.The Marins (57-87) will need to sweep to earn only their fourth series win since the All-Star Break. Miami is 3-8-4 in 15 series in that span.Matz didn’t factor into the decision in his most recent start Friday, when he gave up two runs over five innings as the Mets fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3. He hasn’t won in his last six starts (0-3) dating to July 31 but has allowed only four runs over 19 innings in his last three outings.Alcantara earned the win in his second big league start Sept. 5 Kirk Gibson Jersey , when he allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings as the Marlins beat the Phillies 2-1. The outing was his first since he recorded the victory in his major league debut June 29, when he gave up one run over five innings as the Marlins cruised by the Mets 8-2.Vargas took the loss in his most recent start Sept. 4, when he gave up five runs (four earned) over 3 1/3 innings as the Mets fell to the Dodgers 11-4.Brigham will be making his second big league start and appearance. He lost his debut Sept. 2, when he allowed three runs over three innings as Miami fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1.Matz is 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA in six career starts against the Marlins, and he gave up just one run in 5 1/3 innings to pick up a win over Miami this season. Vargas is 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against Miami, and he threw five shutout innings against the Marlins to get a win on May 21 this season. WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals will try to earn a split of their four-game series with the New York Mets on Sunday, one day after they were officially eliminated from postseason contention.Shortly after Saturday’s game got underway, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Francisco Giants to dash the Nationals’ wild-card hopes. Their bid for a third straight National League East crown ended Friday night when the Atlanta Braves won and they lost.“It stings,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of being eliminated. “But we’ve still got seven more games … these guys don’t quit.”Article continues below ...The Nationals in fact turned in a stellar effort Saturday. Rookie Austin Voth and four relievers combined on a one-hitter, and Matt Wieters and Trea Turner homered in their 6-0 victory over the Mets.Voth allowed one infield hit in five innings while striking out five and walking two in his second major league start.“He kept us off balance,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “He had a good curveball, I thought. He was able to throw it for strikes … and then he got it down when he needed to, and his fastball command was pretty good.”The Mets lead the season series 10-8 with one game remaining.Washington, favored to win a third straight division title http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-maury-wills-jersey , slid into third place on June 22 and remained there.“You want to come out and win every year and have a chance to go into the playoffs, but it happens,” Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said of falling short. “That’s why it’s sports and that’s why sports are one of the greatest things in the world, because you never know what’s going to happen.”Mets left-hander Steven Matz (5-11, 4.03 ERA) opposes right-hander Erick Fedde (2-3, 5.02) on Sunday.Matz took his fourth straight no-decision Sept. 18 at Philadelphia. He pitched five shutout innings, giving up two hits and five walks. In his last six starts, he has a 2.29 ERA.“He weathered the storm a bit and came back and started getting in a groove again, and hopefully he can continue to finish strong,” Callaway said. “I think it’s important to finish on a good note and come into next year ready to go.”He also homered for the second consecutive start, becoming the third Mets pitcher (Tom Seaver, 1972; Ron Darling, 1989) to do so. The solo shot came off Cy Young contender Aaron Nola, thereby helping teammate Jacob deGrom.“I told (deGrom) Fernando Valenzuela Jersey , ‘That was for my friend there,'” Matz told the New York Post after raising Nola’s ERA.The left-hander is making his sixth start against the Nationals this season after going 0-3 with a 5.48 in the first five outings. He took the loss the last time he faced them, Aug. 26 at Citi Field, despite pitching seven innings of one-run ball.Matz is 1-5 with a 3.63 ERA versus Washington in his career, including 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA at Nationals Park.Fedde, 25, will be making his 10th start of the season. Last time out he allowed two runs, two hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision versus the Marlins. He left after throwing 93 pitches and was unable to fix what was causing the walks.“That’s something I need to be better at,” Fedde told the Washington Post. “Whether you say it’s tough or not, it needs to be done.”He has yet to face the Mets this season and is 0-0 with a 7.50 ERA in one career start against them.