For the past few games, it hasn’t mattered whether Ryan Church has hit second, fifth or sixth in the lineup. Wherever Church has been, he has produced.
He will hope to continue that trend tonight when the Mets take on the Nationals (7:10, SNY, WFAN) and look for their fifth-straight win against their division foe.
Church carries a nine-game hitting streak into tonight’s game against his former team. During that stretch, Church has gone 14-for-36 (.389) with 12 runs scored, a home run and five RBI. Four of those games have come against the Nationals, who traded Church and Brian Schneider to the Mets for Lastings Milledge during the offseason.
Church has gone 6-for-18 (.333) with a home run and four RBI against Washington this season, and says he has been able to get past the sting of being dealt as time has gone by.
“In spring training I wanted to hit a home run every time I came up (against Washington)” Church told InsideNova.com. “But all that emotion, that’s all gone. It’s a business.”
Ever since the Mets acquired the left-handed Church, the biggest question mark around him was whether or not he could hit left-handed pitching. Church hit a paltry .229 against southpaws in 2007 for the Nationals. So far this season, though, he has put that argument to rest, hitting .375 with both of his home runs and six RBI against lefties.
Pitching Matchup:
Mets: LHP Oliver Perez (2-0, 2.49 ERA): While Perez hasn’t allowed a run in three of his four starts this season, the erratic left-hander has made life difficult for himself at times . In his last start April 19 against the Phillies, Perez gave up five walks and four hits in 5-2/3 innings. Perez has made it through six innings in his first start, when he allowed five hits in six innings against Florida April 1.
Nationals: RHP Shawn Hill (0-0, 7.20 ERA): Hill is making his second start of the season after allowing four runs on eight hits over five innings of work April 19 against the Marlins. Hill struck out six without walking a batter against Florida. Last season Hill was 4-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 16 starts for Washington. He started twice against the Mets last year, allowing two runs in 6-2/3 innings in a win April 14 in New York and two runs in seven innings in a no-decision in Washington August 19.