Struggling Nationals look to stop 4-game skid

Washington Nationals (19-30, fourth in the NL East) vs. New York Mets (23-25, third in the NL East)

Flushing, Queens; Thursday, 12 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Stephen Strasburg (4-3, 3.32 ERA, .97 WHIP, 82 strikeouts) Mets: Steven Matz (3-3, 3.96 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 38 strikeouts)

LINE: Nationals favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 7 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: Washington enters the game as losers of their last four games.

The Mets are 17-13 against opponents from the NL East. New York has slugged .399 this season. Rajai Davis leads the team with a mark of 4.000.

The Nationals are 10-13 against NL East Division teams. The Washington offense has compiled a .240 batting average as a team this season, Anthony Rendon leads the team with a mark of .325. The Mets won the last meeting 6-1. Drew Gagnon earned his third victory and Davis went 1-for-1 with a home run and three RBIs for New York. Kyle Barraclough took his first loss for Washington.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jeff McNeil leads the Mets with 55 hits and has 15 RBIs. J.D. Davis is 7-for-27 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games for New York.

Rendon leads the Nationals with nine home runs and is batting .325. Juan Soto is 10-for-38 with four doubles, a home run and seven RBIs over the last 10 games for Washington.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mets: 5-5, .220 batting average, 3.81 ERA, outscored opponents by three runs

Nationals: 3-7, .241 batting average, 5.71 ERA, outscored by 19 runs

Mets Injuries: Justin Wilson: 10-day IL (elbow), Jason Vargas: 10-day IL (hamstring), Drew Smith: 60-day IL (elbow), Seth Lugo: 10-day IL (shoulder), Luis Avilan: 10-day IL (elbow), Brandon Nimmo: 10-day IL (neck stiffness), Jeff McNeil: day-to-day (left hamstring tightness), Michael Conforto: 7-day IL (concussion), Yoenis Cespedes: 60-day IL (heels), Jed Lowrie: 60-day IL (knee), Robinson Cano: day-to-day (quad).

Nationals Injuries: Austen Williams: 10-day IL (shoulder), Tony Sipp: 10-day IL (oblique), Anibal Sanchez: 10-day IL (hamstring), Trevor Rosenthal: 10-day IL (infection), Justin Miller: 10-day IL (shoulder), Jeremy Hellickson: 10-day IL (right shoulder strain), Koda Glover: 60-day IL (forearm), Andrew Stevenson: 10-day IL (back), Ryan Zimmerman: 10-day IL (foot).