CES HELPS METS SWEEP NATS:
Cespedes’ RBI single in 12th gets out broom for Nats, streak hits Amazin’ 5
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Yoenis Cespedes broke out of an 0-for-10 stretch with a strong response to the challenge of having the Nationals choose to walk Michael Conforto to pitch to him Sunday night. The Mets left fielder dumped an RBI single into center field in the top of the 12th inning to give the Mets a 6-5 win over the Nationals at Nationals Park.
The Mets (7-1) won their fifth straight and swept the Nationals (4-5) in a three-game series for the first time since 2015.
Cespedes had gone 0-for-5 on Saturday and was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts Sunday before coming through in the 12th. With Juan Lagares on second base and Brandon Kintzler having issued the intentional walk to Conforto, Cespedes broke his bat on a soft liner for the game-winning hit.
Seth Lugo pitched three gutty innings to earn the win. In the ninth, Lugo walked Bryce Harper to lead off. His wide pickoff attempt allowed the Nats slugger to take second. Harper moved to third on Matt Adams’ flyout. Lugo then loaded the bases with intentional walks to Howie Kendrick and Trea Turner before striking out Michael Taylor and Pedro Severino.
With two outs in the 10th, Anthony Rendon bunted up the third base line. Lugo then coaxed a quick ground ball from Harper and after bobbling the ball on his way to first recovered in time to get Harper out.
The bullpen, which had seven holds heading into Sunday’s game, blew its first save. Robert Gsellman gave up an RBI single to Taylor in the seventh inning, allowing the Nationals to tie the game at 5-5.
On a brutally cold night (first-pitch temperature was 47 degrees), Matt Harvey was in and out of trouble all night, allowing four earned runs on nine hits. He walked one and struck out two.
He was better than Tanner Roark, who allowed five runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out nine.
After getting Conforto to strike out and Cespedes to fly out in the third inning, Roark struggled to find the strike zone. He walked Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier and Asdrubal Cabrera before giving up a home run to Adrian Gonzalez.
Harper had crushed a 93-mph fastball that got away from Harvey in the first inning for a two-run homer into the Nationals bullpen.