The New York Mets and Washington Nationals opened a four-game set on Friday night in Washington. Rich Hill (6-6, 3.95 ERA) took the mound for the visiting Mets against Sean Nolin (0-2, 5.71 ERA) for the Nationals. The Mets pitching was the story of the game through eight innings. They gave up just four hits and did not allow a run through. The Mets two runs came on an RBI single by Michael Conforto in the top of the second on an RBI single and Pete Alonso’s third inning triple. Diaz blew the save in the ninth, but a huge top of the tenth by the Mets allowed them to come out on top 6-2 to take game one from the Nationals.
The Mets, with losses by the Braves and the Phils, picked up a game on both teams and trail Atlanta by only four.
Both pitchers cruised through the first inning, with Hill giving up just lead-off single to Lane Thomas to open the bottom half of the first, but settled in to retire Escobar via a double play and striking out Soto to end the inning.
The Mets took the early lead in the top of the second. Javier Baez got the offense started with a one-out double to right field, followed by an RBI single by Conforto to center field that deflected off of Nolan and scored Baez to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. After an injury delay, Kevin Pillar doubled and advanced Conforto to third, but the runners would be left stranded as Nolan retired the next two he faced
The Mets’ offense continued to strike in the top of the third. Nolan walked Brandon Nimmo with one out, then two batters later Alonso tripled to right field, scoring Nimmo to extend the Mets lead over the Nationals to 2-0. Baez was then reached for a second time as he was hit by a pitch, but Conforto grounded out to end the inning.
Both Hill and Nolin retired their sides in the fourth, with both offenses staying quiet, and did not allow runs in the fourth or fifth inning. Nolin allowed a doubled to Jonathan Villar to lead-off the top of the fifth, and Hill gave up a walk and a double in the bottom of the fifth. But both offenses left the runners stranded.
The Nationals went to their bullpen in the sixth as Patrick Murphy replaced Nolin on the mound for the Nationals. He gave up a hit by pitch to Conforto for the only base runner allowed in the inning. The Mets left Conforto stranded as the game advanced to the bottom of the sixth.
Nolin’s final line:
5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR, 5.71 ERA
Hill’s outing ended after six strong innings. Luis Guillorme came in to pinch-hit for Hill in the seventh. The Mets tried to get some offensive spark back in the seventh. Villar and Nimmo each singled with one out, but Murphy struck out the next two batters faced to end the inning.
Hill’s final line:
6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR, 3.92 ERA
As Hill’s night came to an end, Seth Lugo came in to replace Hill on the mound in the bottom of the seventh. Lugo gave up a one-out single to Adams, but the Nationals left him stranded as Lugo retired the next two batters.
The Mets had a shutout going through seven innings as the Mets pitching was dominant.
The Nationals went to their bullpen again in the eighth as Sam Clay replaced Murphy on the mound for Washington. Clay gave up just a two-out single to Pillar who remained hot on Friday night, but the Mets left him stranded as Clay retired Chance Sisco to end the inning.
Murphy’s final line:
2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR, 4.70 ERA
Aaron Loup replaced Lugo on the mound for the Mets in the ninth. Loup pitched a perfect eighth inning, retiring the Nationals in order. The Mets were three outs away from shutting out the Nationals.
Lugo’s final line:
1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 3.00 ERA
Ryne Harper replaced Sam Clay on the mound for the Nationals in the ninth.
Clay’s final line:
1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 5.40 ERA
Harper pitched a strong top half of the ninth, giving up a single to the red-hot Villar who had his third hit of the night, as well as a walk to Nimmo. But the Mets left Villar and Nimmo stranded.
Edwin Diaz came on to replace Loup on the mound for the Mets in the ninth. The Mets were looking to shutout the Nationals. But the Nationals came back swinging in the bottom of the ninth to rally from behind as Diaz blew the save.
Diaz quickly gave up a solo-home run to Juan Soto to left field to bring the Nationals within a run. Two batters later, he walked Ryan Zimmerman to put the tying run on first. Andrew Stevenson replaced Zimmerman as a pinch-runner on first for the Nationals.
With one out and down by one, the Nationals gave Stevenson the green line to run with Adams told to swing away. Adams doubled with Stevenson running and he scored to tie the game 2-2 with one out in the ninth. A throwing error by Baez and hard collision between Sisco and Stevenson at the plate allowed Adams to advance to the third. The Nationals had the winning run on third with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
Sisco left the game in the ninth after the hard collision at the plate. He was replaced behind the plate by Patrick Mazeika.
After play resumed following the injury delay, Diaz struck out Carter Kieboom for the second out of the inning. He then grounded out Garcia to send the game to extra innings tied at 2-2.
Defensive Changes in the tenth for the Nationals:
- Josh Bell moved from left field to first base.
- Stevenson remained in the game as the left fielder.
- Austin Voth replaced Harper on the mound for the Nationals.
Harper’s final line:
1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 2.10 ERA
Francisco Lindor, the last out for the Mets in the ninth, was placed on second for the Mets as the automatic base runner with Alonso coming to the plate.
Alonso, on a 2-1 count singled to right field to score Lindor and the Mets regained a 3-2 lead over the Nationals in the tenth with no outs. Baez then flew out to deep right field in foul territory on a great play by Soto. Alonso tagged and advanced to second on the out.
Voth intentionally walked Conforto to bring up Kevin Pillar with one out and runners on first and second. Pillar then hit his third hit of the night, an RBI double to left field that scored Alonso and Conforto to extend the Mets’ lead over the Nationals to 5-2. Pillar advanced to third on the throw.
In his first at bat of the night, Mazeika struck out for the second out of the inning. J.D. Davis then pinch-hit for Diaz and walked. With runners on first and third, Villar picked up his fourth hit of the night, an RBI single that scored Pillar to extend the Mets’ lead over the Nationals to 6-2. Villar advanced to second on a fielding error by Soto. Villar’s hit was the Mets’ 12th hit of the night. Nimmo followed with a strikeout to end the inning.
But the Mets did their job in the tenth, collecting four runs in the inning to put the Nationals in a 6-2 hole heading into the bottom of the tenth.
Jeurys Familia came in to replace Diaz on the mound for the Mets in the tenth looking to close it out.
Gerardo Parra pinch-hit for Voth to open the inning for the Nationals who also had Garcia starting at second for the Nationals. Familia struck out Parra for the first out of the inning, followed by a groundout of Thomas for the second out. He then grounded out Alcides Escobar to end the inning and take the win 6-2 over the Nationals. They lost the lead in the ninth, regained the lead in the tenth, and held on to it to claim the win.
Diaz (5-4) took the win for the Mets, Voth (3-1) got the loss for the Nationals. Couple that with losses by both the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies, and it turned out to be a good night. The Mets find themselves 4 games behind the Braves as play ended Friday.
Villar had three hits on Friday night and Pillar also had three hits as the Mets’ offense collectively hit 12 hits, out-hitting the Nationals 12-6.
The Mets and Nationals continue their series Saturday with a doubleheader. It will be Marcus Stroman (9-12, 2.85 ERA) against Erick Fedde (6-9, 5.08 ERA) in game one; Tylor Megilll (2-3, 4.04 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets in game two. The Nationals have not yet names a starter for the nightcap.
