METS KEEP PRESSURE ON IN EAST
Decimated Nats no match as Amazin’s keep pace with Phils and Braves
METS 13 NATIONALS 6
For the second straight day, the Met hitters picked up their fatigued pitching staff and turned a blown lead into a win.
The Amazin’s loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth and catcher Patrick Mazeika broke the tie with a sacrifice fly. In the ninth, the Mets unloaded for a six-run rally to erase any possibility of a Nationals comeback. Francisco Lindor sent a solo home run to straightaway center — his 13th dinger of the year — and Michael Conforto collected an RBI single before Kevin Pillar launched a grand slam 418 feet to left-center.
By the time the three-hour, 35-minute affair was over Sunday at Nationals Park, the Mets had a 13-6 victory and their eight win in the last nine games. But with the first-place Braves and second-place Phillies also notching victories, the Mets remained 3.5 games back of the divisional lead.
“Realistically, we just gotta go out there and take care of business,” Pillar said. “We can’t constantly stare at the scoreboard. With the margin we have right now, we have games with Philly left. We know we have the last three games with Atlanta. If you would’ve told me we’d be 2 ½ back two weeks ago, we’d like our chances. If we can keep it within reach, it’ll be a hell of a series going into Atlanta.”
The Mets (69-68) marched to a four-run lead in the top of the first inning, and kept adding on as long as the Nationals left starter Josiah Gray out to dry. Gray arrived in Washington via Los Angeles as part of the trade package that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers. The Mets pounced on Gray for six runs — including solo home runs from Jonathan Villar and Javy Baez — before knocking him out after just three innings.
Baez went 4-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base in addition to his 28th home run of the year. Baez is tied with Freddie Freeman, Joey Votto and Austin Riley for the sixth-most homers in the NL.
“Sometimes I struggle a lot and it feels great to be hot at the plate right now,” said Baez, who was complimented for his energy by his manager and teammates following the win. “Hopefully I keep it going.”
But the Mets’ four-run lead shrank just moments later, when Nationals leadoff hitter Lane Thomas and cleanup batter Josh Bell both took Taijuan Walker deep in the bottom of the first inning. Bell’s two-run shot brought the Nationals within one run. They would tie it, 6-6, in the fifth.
Walker surrendered six earned runs in his 25th start of the year. It was the most runs he’d allowed since July 24 against the Blue Jays, and the implosion arrived right after a string of solid starts. Walker gave up his 14th home run in 40.2 innings since the All-Star break, compared to six homers permitted in 94.2 innings in the first half.
“The first inning, I took a while to get going. My velo was down,” Walker said. “At the end of the day I didn’t do my job. Offense gave me six runs and I didn’t do my job today.”
The bullpen picked Walker up with 4.2 scoreless, hitless innings. Jeurys Familia, Miguel Castro, Aaron Loup, Trevor May and Yennsy Diaz all put up zeros across the final 14 outs.