The Mets played to a draw for the third straight game, tying with the Nationals, 4-4, on Sunday afternoon at Tradition Field.
The Mets started strong against Yusmeiro Petit. David Wright homered in the bottom of the first to put the Mets up 1-0, and, after a Neil Walker triple, Michael Conforto went deep in the second to extend the lead to three.
Steven Matz pitched well for the Mets, going 5.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit (a home run) and striking out five. Matz did, however, walk four.
The Nats got on the board with Clint Robinson‘s solo shot in the fourth, but the Mets got the run back in the fifth when Wright singled home Curtis Granderson, who had doubled.
Matz gave way to Antonio Bastardo, who got the final out in the sixth Logan Verrett stumbled in the seventh, allowing a double to Chris Heisey and an RBI single to former Met Matt den Dekker that made it 4-2.
Jim Henderson got the first out in the eighth, but a single from Danny Espinosa and a double from Anthony Rendon knocked Henderson out of the game and put the tying runs in scoring position. Jerry Blevins came in and walked the first hitter he faced to load the bases.
Heisey hit a grounder that nearly got the Mets out of the inning, but beat out the throw to stay out of a double-play as a run scored to make it 4-3. Blevins then made an errant throw trying to pick Heisey off, allowing the tying run to score, before retiring den Dekker (for whom he was traded last Spring).
Jeurys Familia worked through a scoreless top of the ninth inning despite being hit hard by the Nationals, but the Mets could not score late in the game, and the contest ended in a tie.
The Mets are winless in their last ten, having tied three straight after losing seven in a row.
Blevins has an ERA of 4.50 this Spring and has allowed multiple inherited runners to score. Bastardo has an ERA of 6.75.
Former Met Oliver Perez made an appearance on the mound for the Nationals today, as did Bryan Harper, brother of Bryce.
The Mets will visit the Cardinals tomorrow, when Bartolo Colon will face Carlos Martinez.
