The Mets will try to avoid being the first team since the Diamondbacks (May 8-10) to lose a series to the Nats today at 1:35pm. Livan Hernandez will once again try to beat his former team. Today will be a rematch vs. Craig Stammen when the Mets won 6-1 on May 26th as Livan threw a complete game. The Mets are only 1-5 this season in trying to win the rubber match of a series. Here’s today’s lineup, Castillo and Sheffield get a rest:

Cora, 2b
Martinez, lf
Beltran, cf
Wright, 3b
Murphy, 1b
Church, rf
Schneider, c
Valdez, ss
Hernandez, rhp

I don’t think I can take another injury to this team but Jerry Manuel felt like Maine didn’t have his electric stuff yesterday and could be going through a ‘dead arm’ period.

“I would hope that John Maine may be going through a period of dead arm or whatever,” said the manager. “I just didn’t see the electric stuff we’ve been known to see. That’s a little concerning when that happens.” Maine acknowledged that he “had nothing” and that his shoulder is “still a little tight.”

Photo: AP/John Bazemore