Mets Morning News: Mets beat Nationals in game featuring only three Opening Day starters

Meet the Mets

It was a strange night in Queens as the Nationals and Mets fielded a set of lineups that featured only three men who started on Opening Day. One of those men, Daniel Murphy, merely pinch-hit. It was a testament to how banged-up both teams have been all year, and to the diverging fortunes of the franchises, which cause the Mets to jettison most of their opening day starters in trades. Still, a win is a win, and the continued heroics of Nori Aoki have at least provided Mets fans with some respite at the end of the long season.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue short and long, Post, Daily News, Newsday, MLB.com, NJ.com, Bergen County Record.

Sandy Alderson won’t talk about Terry Collins’ fate until after the season.

Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey with be co-starters on Saturday, with Syndergaard pitching the first inning and Harvey taking over in the second. Many columnists do not think this is the world’s wisest idea.

The Mets are bringing an augmented reality experience to Citi Field.

Tomas Nido is hoping to send generators to help his family in Puerto Rico following the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria.

Around the NL East

The Braves have yet to decide whether to bring back manager Brian Snitker.

Derek Jeter has decided to clean house in the Marlins’ organization, firing some popular figures from past Marlins teams in the process.

The Phillies took a bad loss to the Braves.

Around MLB

Cody Bellinger set the NL rookie home run record as the Dodgers clinched.

A fan somehow got into the Yankees locker room after their game against the Blue Jays and tried to steal some towels and a batting helmet before he was chased down by security and several players.

Todd Frazier spoke with the father of the young girl who was hit by a foul ball off Frazier’s bat.

The Minnesota Twins have been the MLB leaders in fan protection, and had already extended the netting in their park back in January of 2016. Three more teams joined them this week alone.

Brad Ausmus won’t be back as the manager of the Tigers next season.

Brewers minor leaguer Julio Mendez remains hospitalized nearly a month after suffering a heart attack when he was hit in the chest by a ball.

Yesterday at AA

Aaron Yorke previewed the Mets/Nationals series.

Joe Sokolowski was back with another “This Week in Mets Quotes.”

This Date in Mets History

The Miracle Mets were on the verge of sealing their miracle on this date in 1969.