For the first time since August 12, the Mets (61-66) will look at the opposing dugout and see a team other than the Dodgers and Giants staring them down. That team is the Nationals (54-72), the last club the Mets happened to face before their stretch from hell. In that series, the Mets swept Washington, and overall they have won six out of the 11 games they’ve played against the Nats.
The Mets were just swept by the NL-leading Giants at home as they fell further out of first place and saw their playoff hopes diminish.