The set-up: The Washington Nationals look to sweep this three-game series from the Mets tonight on ESPN. The Nats won 4-3 (11 innings) on Friday and four pitchers allowed just two hits for a 3-1 victory in Saturday's contest. Surging Washington has now won six in a row to sport a 12-5 record, while the slumping Mets have lost seven of eight games to fall to 8-10. More bad news comes New York's way with the Mets placing infielders Lucas Duda (elbow) and Wilmer Flores (knee) on the disabled list Friday and New York will likely still be without Yoenis Cespedes (hamstring) for a least a few more days.

The pitching matchup: The Nationals send Max Scherzer (2-1 & 1.37 ERA) to the mouynd tonight up against New York's Zack Wheeler (1-1 & 5.52 ERA). Scherzer takes the mound Sunday after his best start of the season, limiting Atlanta to two hits over seven scoreless innings last Tuesday with seven strikeouts and three walks in a 3-1 victory. He has yielded three ERs over 12 2/3 innings in his first two starts of the 2017 season and has yet to surrender a home run in three outings. Scherzer owns 1.88 ERA in 10 career career against the Mets, going 5-3, although his teams are just 5-5. Wheeler looked good his last time out in a no-decision, when he allowed just one run on four hits over five innings with seven strikeouts and two walks against Philadelphia. However, he had given up eight runs on 10 hits over 9 2/3 innings in his first two starts of the season after missing two years due to Tommy John surgery. Wheeler is 2-6 with a 4.69 ERA in eight career starts against the Nats.

The pick: No reason to step in front of the Nats in this one. Scherzer was 2-1 with a 0.87 ERA versus the Mets in 2016, while Wheeler was 1-4 with a 5.86 ERA in five outings against Washington back in 2014, the last time he faced them. Make the Nats an 8* play.