ame to the country because of the way the people have behaved and treated us, and made us feel like a real part of the com

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals have a nine-game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East race.But that doesnt mean the three-game series between the two teams that begins Monday wont be important.Wed like to beat them, Washington manager Dusty Baker said after Sundays 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. We know they have to beat us. It should be a very interesting series.The Mets come to Washington with an eye on the National League wildcard while the Nationals hope to finish with the second-best record in the league and get a possible homefield advantage for the playoffs, perhaps against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Weve got to keep playing, Mets manager Terry Collins told reporters Sunday in Atlanta. We know we can play with (Washington) them. Theyve got a little bit of a pitching issue right now, similar to us. Weve just got to go in there and play. For its about winning games, I dont care who theyre against. You cant look at any particular thing, you just have to go in and win as many games as you can.New York will start right-hander Rafael Montero against the Nationals on Monday. He is 0-0 with a 4.63 ERA this season with New York. He was 8-9, 5.30 in the minor leagues this year with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas. He pitched 4 1/3 innings on Sept. 6 against the Reds and gave up three hits and four runs.Baker did not name a starter for Monday or Tuesday against the Mets but the Nationals twitter account late Sunday reported that veteran right-hander Mat Latos would start on Monday against the Mets, with A.J. Cole going on Tuesday and Tanner Roark pitching Wednesday.Latos pitched for Baker in Cincinnati in 2012 and 2013 and was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in six minor league starts in the Washington system this year. He signed with the Nationals as a minor league free agent on July 3 and is 1-0, 7.71 in two games for the Nationals this year.Latos was with the Chicago White Sox earlier this season -- he pitched against the Nationals one game -- and he was 6-2, 4.62 in 11 games in the American League this year before coming to Washington.Other options for the rest of the season for Washington include two rookie right-handers: Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.Gioloito made his big league debut against the Mets at home in June while Lopez lost 5-1 to the Mets on Sept. 4 in New York. Lopes has made six starts this year for the Nationals and Giolito has made four.Giolito, who began the year as one of the top pitching prospects in the minors, is 0-1, 5.59 in five games with Washington.There has been some concern about his velocity: he threw in the upper 90s last year but was clocked around 90 in his last outing Wednesday as he came out of bullpen in a game in which Strasburg left early.Lopez has shown a devastating curve at times and is 2-3, 5.52 in his time with the Nationals this year.Cole broke into the majors last year and beat the Mets on Sept. 2 in New York. Cole started at home on Thursday against the Phillies.Cole is 1-2 with a 4.56 ERA in four starts this year for Washington after spending most of the season at Triple-A Syracuse.New York had won eight of its past 11 games after downing the Braves on Sunday 10-3. 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NSW Country are desperate to reward their 800,000-square kilometre supporter range and toast the regions massive contribution to Australian rugby with victory in Saturdays National Rugby Championship final.Tamworth, Australias country music capital, will play host to the final of Australias much-debated third-tier rugby competition with the Eagles hosting Perth Spirit at Scully Park.And the match will have a particularly special feel for NSW Country captain Paddy Ryan, no matter how much he tries to play it down, with the Waratahs prop a proud Tamworth boy who aligns himself with the Pirates club - the winners of this years Central North competition.I havent really thought about that, Ryan told ESPN in typical country style.Im just going to enjoy spending time with my family, and I think mum and dad will be happy they dont have to drive five hours down the highway to watch me play footy for a change, which will be great.But Im trying to keep a lid on it a bit myself; Im trying not to think too much about that side of things, and focusing on what we need to do to win the game.Regional NSW has a proud association with Australian rugby, with many great Wallabies hailing from outside Sydney.While they are linked with different NRC clubs, recent Wallabies Sam Carter and Ben McCalman hail from Quirindi and Warren respectively, while the likes of Chris Latham, Tom Bowman, Tim Gavin and Warwick Waugh are just a few of the other to hail from the bush over the past few decades.Meanwhile, Dubbos Tom Robertson will come off the bench for the Wallabies in Bledisloe III at Eden Park just hours before kick-off in Tamworth.After taking a game to Tamworth earlier this year, before being forced to move a home game in Orange to Sydney due to the big winter wet, and then playing last weeks semifinal in Newcastle, Ryan said the Eagles were as much about acknowledging NSW Countrys contribution to Australian rugby as they were about winning the NRC.Yeah, and I think thats no accident, Ryan said when asked about the wide-ranging support the Eagles had received this season.You look at the work of guys like Pete Tonkin and Rich Hutchison [franchise founders] to get the whole program moving because New Southh Wales Country Rugby deserves to be acknowledged more in the rugby landscape.ddddddddddddIts got a massive base in our [rugby] culture, and hard-working country boys have been some of our best Test players. So there has been a sort of natural [existing] support there.But I think its been well recognised by the guys who got us up and going as an NRC team, and they did that off their own bat and out of their own pocket which I think is just really commendable.Ryan said the Eagles had been embraced by the community, no matter where theyd taken their homes games this season.Every time weve gone out to the country, and we played a game at Queensland Country this year, the way that the people of the town embrace you is just so great, he told ESPN.Its fantastic the way the whole community gets around you, and everyone just wants to enjoy each others company and theyre so genuine.And the reason that we take these big games back out to the country [is] because of the way people treat us when we come there.Weve got affiliations with [Sydney Shute Shield clubs] Easts and Randwick and Sydney Uni, all who have adequate facilities to host a final. But were taking this game to the country because of the way the people have behaved and treated us, and made us feel like a real part of the community.After leading the competition throughout the season, the Eagles have assumed slight favouritism for Saturday nights decider.And Ryan is expecting a tight battle, after both sides were comfortable winners in the semifinals.Their forward pack was very strong last week against the Rays and theyve got significant attacking threats in the backline, Ryan said of the Spirit.But I think weve seen in these NRC games that if the forward pack can win the physicality battle through set-piece and physicality around the field, they will be the team that unleashes their backs and will be the team that will ultimately win.Both teams have red-hot backlines and both teams have some reasonable forwards in good packs, so its going to come down to who turns up on the day and is prepared to win. ' ' '