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The Mets entered Friday having lost five straight series, four against teams with losing records. Their game Friday night marked a great chance for the team to turn things around, as they began a four-game series with the Nationals. Tylor Megill drew the start for New York while MacKenzie Gore, who struck out 10 in six innings in his last outing against the Mets, got the start for Washington.

Strong pitching and a clutch three-run hit from Francisco Lindor allowed the Mets to pull out a 3-2 victory, giving them a crucial win and bringing them to 19-20 on the season.

The first inning was very reminiscent of the 2022 Mets, as the team fouled off tough pitches and took pitches off the plate, resulting in the bases being loaded after a Jeff McNeil single and two walks. That brought up Starling Marte who has been in a major slump. Loading the count full, he sent a fly ball to center field that was caught to end the inning. As we have seen far too often this year the Mets failed once again to score in the first inning, though they drove Gore’s pitch count all the way up to 36.

In the bottom of the inning, Megill allowed a walk, a stolen base, and a bloop single off the bat of Joey Meneses as the Mets once again allowed a first inning run. Megill then walked Dominic Smith but got Jeimer Candelario to strike out to limit the damage to just the one run.

Eduardo Escobar got a rare start in place of Brett Baty and grounded a ball through the infield for a one-out single in the top of the second inning. Brandon Nimmo singled with two outs to put runners on first and second base but Francisco Lindor popped up to end the inning, running Gore’s pitch count to 59 and stranding five through the first two innings.

The Mets once again stranded two runners in the third inning after McNeil and Marte singled and failed to score. Mark Canha flew out to right field to end the inning and give the Mets zero runs and seven stranded runners through three innings.

Alex Call led off the bottom of the fourth with his second hit of the night, this time a double that fell into right-center field. He advanced to third base on a fielder’s choice and scored after a ball off the bat of Jake Alu ricocheted off of Lindor and into the outfield for what was ruled an error.

Andrés Machado relieved Gore to start the fifth due to Gore’s high pitch count, retiring the first two batters of the inning before allowing an infield single to Pete Alonso. Tommy Pham struck out though, making Alonso the Mets’ eighth stranded runner of the night through five scoreless innings.

Starling Marte led off the sixth inning with a single into center field, his second hit of the night which was a positive sign considering his recent struggles. Mark Canha then hit a weak ball into right field that stayed just inside the line, giving him a double and putting runners on second and third base with nobody out. Brett Baty came up to the plate to pinch hit for Escobar with the righty Machado in the game, and he hit a weak ground ball to the pitcher. With Marte breaking for home, he was thrown out for the first out of the inning.

A fielder’s choice and a walk loaded the bases with two outs for Lindor in a situation that could have made up for all of the other stranded baserunners earlier in the game. Lindor delivered in the clutch like so few Mets have this year, sending a ball into the right field gap for a bases-clearing single with an advance to second base on the throw home. Just like that, the Mets were given new life with a 3-2 lead.

Jeff Brigham relieved Megill to start the sixth inning, putting Megill’s final line at four hits, four walks, four strikeouts, and one earned run through five innings. Brigham delivered the second straight 1-2-3 inning for Mets’ pitching, aided by a great defensive play from Baty and Alonso.

Adam Ottavino followed Brigham in the seventh and delivered yet another 1-2-3 inning. David Robertson was called on to pitch in the eighth inning and also set the Washington batters down in order, two via the strikeout.

With the Mets failing to score in the top of the ninth and the lead still just one, Robertson came on for the ninth to try to record a six-out save. After walking Candelario to lead off the inning, Robertson recorded back-to-back strikeouts before issuing another walk. With his pitch count all the way up to 40, the Mets brought in Drew Smith to record the final out. Throwing heat, he got Lane Thomas to strikeout on a high fastball to end the game and secure the Mets victory.

Player of the Game

Francisco Lindor delivered in a major way with his three-run single in the sixth inning. Without it, the Mets might have suffered yet another brutal shutout but his hit was the difference between that and what turned out to be a Mets victory. It was his only hit of the day as he finished 1-for-5, but that one hit was so desperately needed and he came through.

On Deck

The Mets continue the series against the Nationals Saturday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET. Joey Lucchesi (1-0, 4.43 ERA) gets the start for New York while Trevor Williams (1-1, 4.25 ERA) will be on the mound for Washington. The game will be broadcast on SNY.