The Washington Nationals are heating up, and they've now won six straight at home. There's very little margin for error as they are trying to catch the division leading New York Mets. I like Washington to stay hot here on Monday.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Nats will send ace Max Scherzer to the mound, and he's coming off a win over St. Louis in his last start. Scherzer (11-11, 2.89 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on 11 hits, striking out 10 in six innings in a 4-3 win at Busch Stadium. The Mets counter with Jonathon Niese, who was hammered by the Phillies in his last start.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The Nats lineup is hitting a combined .326 over 236 at bats versus Niese. Danny Espinosa is 9-for-21 with a home runs and three RBIs versus the veteran.

3. X-Factor - Scherzer has faced the Mets twice already this season, posting an ERA of 0.61 over 14.2 innings.


Selection: This is a play on the Washington Nationals RL (10*)