The Mets dropped a home daytime contest against a split-squad Washington Nationals team by a score of 7-3 at First Data Field.

Pitching:

Steven Matz recorded just two outs in a 34-pitch effort that saw five runs (all earned) come in on four hits and two walks. His inability to control his fastball put him in a hole early, dooming him into five hitter’s counts against his first six batters.

A mid-inning visit from Dave Eiland resulted in weaker overall contact but still failed to limit the damage, as a sacrifice fly, bloop hit, swinging bunt to third, and grounder into right plated three more runs.

Matz was replaced by Corey Taylor, who began his outing by ending the first with a pickoff. In an 11-pitch, 9-strike frame, Taylor allowed a single, induced a 4-6-3 double play, and struck out Michael A. Taylor on three pitches, touching 95 miles per hour with his fastball.

Gerson Bautista worked 1.2 innings, allowing a homer to Chris Dominguez (one of two hits) but also striking out two batters – including Trea Turner on three pitches, sporting a fastball that sat 94-96 miles per hour through the afternoon.

Jerry Blevins ended the fourth inning with a three-pitch out and followed up with a 23-pitch fourth inning, where he collected a pair of strikeouts, but also allowed a run on two hits, both by right-handed batters. Michael A. Taylor, who doubled to lead off the fifth, came around to score on a throwing error by Travis d’Arnaud after stealing third.

Matt Purke retired two righties on grounders before chasing Trea Turner with a 1-2 slider in the dirt to end a spotless sixth inning.

P.J Conlon too made his share of noise in the competition for the second-lefty slot, turning in three scoreless innings of long relief. Conlon threw nine pitches in the seventh, the final seven all checking in as strikes. He walked a batter in the eighth, but immediately recovered by hashing out a 4-6-3 double play. His lone hit allowed came with two outs in the ninth, but a lineout to center concluded a remarkably efficient outing.

Offense:

Jay Bruce, after falling behind 0-2 and working the count full, launched a solo homer in the bottom of the first.

Todd Frazier followed suit a few innings later, lancing a slider away over the left field wall in the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to four with his first bomb of the spring. He also singled in the seventh before being lifted for Phil Evans as a pinch-runner.

Ty Kelly proceeded to drive Evans home with a double down the right-field line to pull the Mets back within four. Tomas Nido and Tim Tebow each grounded out, however, to strand Kelly.

The Mets’ only other hit came on a Brandon Nimmo single in the third. Nimmo also threw out a runner trying to stretch a single into two bases in the third – his first assist of the spring.

Adrian Gonzalez continues to struggle, going hitless in four at-bats and getting thrown out at first base on a ground ball off the bag that seemed a clear break. He is now hitting just .133 with a .321 OPS in 16 spring at-bats. As a point of reference, Travis d’Arnaud, who is also struggling with a .200 average and also went hitless today, still holds a .629 OPS.

On Deck:

The Mets will again try to win their first game of March tomorrow at home against the Detroit Tigers. Matt Harvey hopes to work off of an encouraging first start in Orlando against Mike Fiers. First pitch is at 1:10 PM, with coverage of the game on SNY.