Rendon drives in 10, hits three HRs as Nats rout Mets

Anthony Rendon had 10 RBIs, three home runs and six hits as the Washington Nationals took advantage of Noah Syndergaard’s injury and mauled the New York Mets 23-5 on Sunday to set a franchise scoring record.

Rendon went a career-best 6 for 6 and scored five times while setting a club mark for RBIs. He became the 13th player in major league history to drive in 10 or more runs in a game — the first since Garret Anderson did it for the Angels in 2007.

Matt Wieters added two homers, a single and two walks as the Nationals salvaged the finale of a three-game series between NL East rivals. Adam Lind and Bryce Harper also homered, and Harper scored four runs.

Washington finished with a season-high 23 hits and scored the most runs in the history of the Expos/Nationals franchise. The Nationals’ seven homers were their most since the team moved from Montreal to Washington in 2005.

After a two-run single in the first, Rendon followed with a solo homer in the third and a three-run shot in the fourth. He ripped a threerun double off the right-centre wall in the fifth and nearly had another RBI when he singled in the seventh, but teammate Daniel Murphy held up at third base.

Rendon capped his incredible day with a solo home run off Mets backup catcher Kevin Plawecki in the eighth. Harper and Lind went deep against Plawecki earlier in the inning.

It was a miserable day all-around for the Mets, who won the first two games of the series after losing six straight. Syndergaard, the team’s hardthrowing ace, left in the second inning with what the club called “a possible right lat strain” and was on his way back to New York for an MRI.

Syndergaard (1-2) allowed five runs on five hits in the first. In the second, he threw a strike to Harper on his 38th pitch and grimaced while reaching for his right armpit. Mets manager Terry Collins and the team trainer immediately came out, and Collins summoned reliever Sean Gilmartin.

Syndergaard was making his first start since April 20. The right-hander was a late scratch from his last scheduled outing Thursday against Atlanta due to right biceps discomfort. But he threw a bullpen Friday, said he felt fine and refused an MRI.

Hours after Washington announced leadoff batter Adam Eaton has a torn knee ligament and is likely done for the season, Michael A. Taylor, Eaton’s replacement in centre field, had two hits.

New York’s Jay Bruce had three hits, including a solo home run, and Rene Rivera had a solo shot and a single. Matt Albers (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief.