Nats turn to DJ Herz to make MLB debut vs. Mets

Washington left-hander DJ Herz will make his major league debut Tuesday when he starts for the Nationals against the visiting New York Mets.

Herz, 23, was called up from Triple-A Rochester after right-hander Trevor Williams was scratched and placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday. Williams, who is 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA, has a right flexor muscle strain.

Herz is 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA, 42 strikeouts and a .177 opponents' batting average in nine starts for Rochester this season. Over his last four starts, he is 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA. He fanned 10 and allowed one run on two hits in 5 1/3 innings in his most recent start last Thursday against St. Paul.

New York, meanwhile, goes for its second straight win after averting another ninth-inning bullpen disaster to hold on for an 8-7 victory in Monday's series opener.

Left-hander David Peterson (0-0, 3.60 ERA) makes his second start of the season for the Mets. Peterson, making his debut after recovering from offseason hip surgery, gave up three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits over five innings of a no-decision against the Dodgers last Wednesday.

"Felt good to be back," said Peterson, whose errant pick-off attempt led to a run.

Peterson is 3-1 with a 3.68 ERA in nine games (six starts) versus the Nationals.

New York led 8-5 entering the ninth inning Monday. The Nationals rallied for two runs off Adam Ottavino and Jake Diekman before the latter struck out Drew Millas with the tying run on third to end it.

The Mets entered the game with 11 blown saves in 24 opportunities, the latest by Diekman on Sunday.

Starling Marte and Jose Iglesias each had three hits and Mark Vientos homered and walked twice for New York.

Iglesias supplied the go-ahead RBI in the fifth inning and added two runs scored and a stolen base. He's 5-for-11 since joining the Mets from Triple-A Syracuse and started Monday in place of slumping second baseman Jeff McNeil, who sat after completing a 5-for-32 (.156) homestand.

"He's a guy that won a batting title by hitting line drives from line to line and right now we're not seeing that consistently," manager Carlos Mendoza said of McNeil. "There's been stretches of a couple of games where you go, 'OK, he's back,' and then he goes some games where he is just missing pitches."

Vientos, Iglesias, Harrison Bader, and Luis Torrens -- the six through nine hitters -- combined to go 6-for-15 with a home run, six RBIs and two walks.

Joey Gallo homered for Washington, which has lost three of four and on Monday opened a seven-game homestand against New York and Atlanta. In his last nine games, Gallo is hitting .292 (7-for-24) with a double, two home runs, four RBIs, and four runs scored.

Jesse Winker had three hits and drove in three runs.

"We had a couple opportunities," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "Just fell a little short. I thought we hit the ball really well. Lined out a few times. Overall, I thought our at-bats were good today."

Washington collected 11 hits but went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

--Field Level Media