Game Recap: Mets Drop Final Game of Series With Nationals, 7-4
The red hot Mets’ (61-57) bats fell cold this Sunday afternoon, coming up short in the final game of their series with the Washington Nationals (62-56), and snapping their eight-game winning streak. (Box Score)
Offense
With a three run deficit after a Pete Alonso first-inning error, the Mets were down early, but not for long.
In a familiar fashion, back-to-back base hits from J.D. Davis and Wilson Ramos kicked off the club’s rally in the bottom of the second. Then, Joe Panik laced a single to right field on a 3-1 changeup from Anibal Sanchez, driving in Davis for his first RBI as a Met to get the team on the board. With two outs, Jacob deGrom laid down a perfectly executed bunt single to surprise the Washington defense and load the bases. Just one pitch later Jeff McNeil pulled a game-tying, two-run single down the line. It was a brand new ballgame.
Ramos smacked a leadoff double to begin the fourth, but the team’s offense failed to capitalize. In the fifth, McNeil reached on a leadoff walk and Alonso snuck a base hit up the middle to put runners on the corners, but the pair were left stranded.
The team finally got things going again in seventh inning when McNeil hit his second double of the day off of Nats’ reliever Matt Grace with no outs.
Hunter Strickland was brought in to face Rosario, who singled on a line drive to right field to put runners on first and third. A Michael Conforto sacrifice fly drove in McNeil to cut the Washington lead 5-4.
New York’s offense would stay quiet through the rest of the game, failing to score again. The team put up four runs on nine hits but left 16 on base.
McNeil went 2-4 with two doubles and a walk. Ramos went 2-4 with a double.
Pitching
Ace Jacob deGrom took the mound for the New York this Sunday afternoon and pitched well enough to keep the team afloat through his outing. The righty tossed 101 pitches through five innings allowing four hits, three runs-none earned-while walking one and striking out seven. He lowered his season ERA to 2.68, ranking fifth in the National League among qualified starters.
DeGrom struggled with his fastball command early on, giving up base hits to Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon, and walking Juan Soto to load the bases to start off the first inning.
With one out, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a grounder to first base appearing to be a double-play ball that would have the Mets out of the frame, but a bad throw from Pete Alonso led to a three run inning for the Nats. Although Wilson Ramos dropped the ball at the plate in the attempt to get the third runner out, all three runs were charged to Alonso’s error.
Despite his rocky start, deGrom settled into his groove and held Washington scoreless through his next four. The right-hander was pulled for southpaw Luis Avilan to take the hill to start the sixth.
Avilan got into trouble when he gave up singles to Cabrera and Kurt Suzuki, putting runners on the corners with two outs. Veteran right-hander Brad Brach was brought in for one out to make his Mets debut, getting out of the jam to close out the frame.
Robert Gsellman relieved Brach to face the top of the Washington order in the seventh. He allowed back-to-back one-out singles to Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon, and Eaton was moved to third on a fielding error by Jeff McNeil.
Justin Wilson was brought in to face Soto and escape the jam, but the veteran walked the lefty to load the bases. With two outs, Wilson gave up a two RBI double to Cabrera give the Nationals a 5-3 lead. Soto was thrown out on the play to get the club out of the inning, but the damage had already been done.
Jeurys Familia pitched a cleaning eighth in relief of Wilson, striking out the side and throwing just 13 pitches- 11 for strikes.
In an effort to keep the game within one run, closer Edwin Diaz was brought in to face the top of the Washington order in the ninth but couldn’t get the job done. After walking Eaton, with two outs, Victor Robles homered to left field and made it 7-4 Nats. Diaz struck out two but can’t seem to escape the home run ball. The right-hander has allowed a career-high 11 home runs this season.
Up Next
The Mets have an off day on Monday before they travel to Atlanta to open a three-game series with the Braves on Tuesday evening. Zack Wheeler (9-6, 4.20 ERA) will take the mound for New York. Atlanta’s starter has not yet been announced.
The game will begin at 7:20 PM ET. It will be televised on SNY, MLB Network, and broadcast on WCBS 880 and ESPN 1050.