The Mets (57-63) defeated the Nationals (74-46) by the score of 2-0 tonight at Nationals Park.

Finally, a quick recap that I can write with a splash of positivity behind it.

Jon Niese against Edwin Jackson, a pitching matchup that had the chance to be something great, exceeded expectations. Jon Niese started and pitched masterfully through 7.1 innings, allowing just 5 hits and striking out 7. He did not walk a batter, either. He was pulled in the eighth after109 pitches in favor of Jon Rauch, who successfully picked up a hold by getting Werth and Espinosa. Frank Francisco came on for the save in the bottom of the ninth, and while the Mets fan base was having a collective heart attack, he pitched a perfect ninth with a strikeout for good measure to shut the door. The Mets kept the Washington bats stifled all night – holding them 0 – 4 with RISP.

As much as I would like to say “And the Mets gave Jon Niese ample run support…” I can not. They mustered three hits throughout the entire game and drew only one walk, while striking out a whopping fifteen times. Rest easy, however, as you can all thank your lucky stars for resident slugger Ike Davis – who had two out of the three Met hits tonight, including a well-struck two-run HR in the seventh off Edwin Jackson. Mike Baxter had the only other hit – a 3B. Wright scored on the HR, after reaching base on the aforementioned walk.

A win is a win no matter how you slice it, and I am glad we were able to pull this one off.

I am just slightly curious as to why Parnell was not put in when Rauch was, and Rauch would have been left to close but… We won, and that is that.

Notes

Ike Davis improves his average to .219 with HR number 22 and RBIs number 66 and 67.

Niese improves to 10-6 to become a ten game winner for the second straight year and improves his ERA to 3.49.

Speaking of ERA: Rauch drops his to 3.07 and Francisco to 6.06. If you are wondering why I suggested Rauch over Francisco in the ninth…there you go.

The outing extended Niese’s scoreless-inning streak to 15 1/3 innings, the longest of his five-year career. His sparkling 3.49 ERA is behind only RA Dickey’s 2.89, unless you want to count Matt Harvey’s 3.00 so far.

Mets aren’t above shutting down Santana. Thoughts?

Up Next

Jeremy Hefner will take the mound against Gio Gonzalez tomorrow, which will officially give the Mets a six-man rotation. RA Dickey will still pitch on every fifth day. … So yeah. It is an afternoon game, beginning at 1:35.