Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Balk in the New York groove. The Mets have a win streak for the first time in weeks after defeating the Nationals 9-4 on Sunday.

New York continued its power streak with two more home runs on Sunday. Now at five home runs in the last two games, the Mets have shown signs of life after an abysmal 13-game stretch against the top of the National League.

The Mets scraped out a run in the first needing a passed ball and balk to do so. Francisco Lindor danced down the third baseline with the Nationals defense shifted leading to Washington starter Erick Fedde committing a violation the umps ruled a balk.

Fedde would get over his early mishap and set the Mets down over the next three innings before relinquishing a 444-foot moonshot to Javier Baez in the fourth. The two-run homer gave the Mets a permanent lead.

Opposing Fedde, Tylor Megill rebounded from a rough outing in San Francisco. Megill went five innings, allowed two runs, and struck out five. His two runs allowed came courtesy of Josh Bell‘s two-run home run in the fourth.

New York tacked on runs in the fifth and sixth courtesy of Jonathan Villar. Villar led off the fifth with a triple with Pete Alonso singling him in. Villar would then homer in the sixth, a two-run shot, his 15th this season. Dominic Smith singled to score Kevin Pillar as well. The Mets led 7-3.

Juan Soto couldn’t go a game without torturing the Mets, homering in the sixth off of Aaron Loup. Soto is the first player to do so against Loup this season. Bell hit his second home run of the game in the top of a stressful eighth for pitcher Jeurys Familia.

Familia needed just three pitches to record outs from Alcides Escobar and Soto. He struggled to find the strike zone against Bell, eventually watching a 3-2 pitch narrowly clear the left field wall. He proceeded to walk Yadiel Hernandez and Carter Kieboom, needing a mound visit in between. Familia did strike out Luis Garcia to escape his jam.

Lindor and the Mets continued their assault on Washington relievers. Sam Clay walked Patrick Mazeika on four pitches, allowed a single to Villar, and hit Brandon Nimmo with a pitch. Lindor doubled to left field to break the game open once again, scoring Mazeika and Villar.

Edwin Diaz, who was warming up for the ninth, sat back down. Instead, Heath Hembree entered with a five-run lead. Hembree finished the ninth without allowing a baserunner.

The Mets are off on Monday before playing 18 games in 16 days. New York resumes Tuesday with a doubleheader against Miami, the first game a continuation of the April 11 suspended game.