Painful April has Amazin’s in early hole

APRIL games count, too. Someone tell the Mets.

As much as the Mets try to downplay their early struggles, here is something that can’t be downplayed: The Nationals have made an April statement against the Mets. That is a big problem.

With ex-Met Daniel Murphy supplying the power with a first-inning grand slam to right-center against Zack Wheeler, the Nationals beat the Mets 6-3 Sunday night at Citi Field, sweeping the three-game series.

Since the start of 2014, the Nationals are 38-22 against the Mets and in their last 37 games at Citi Field the Nationals have won 27. In 2016 the Nats won the season series, 12-7, catapulting them to first place in the NL East.

Even in spring training the Nationals dominated the Mets.

Dusty Baker wanted to make a statement and the Nats won all five games. In three of those games the Mets were shut out by the Nationals, who outscored the Mets 24-7.

A message was sent, a message the Mets again received loud and clear this weekend.

So let the Mets talk about all their early-season injury woes once again, meanwhile the Nationals are taking care of business.

“We’re not looking for anybody to feel bad for us with whoever is hurt, we just have to play better,’’ said Neil Walker, who supplied a two-run home run in the third to bring the Mets within, 4-3.

“More than anything you just try not to freak out. That’s the absolute worst thing that you can do 20 games into the season.’’

All true, but it would be nice if the Mets showed more of a sense of urgency. Get too far behind and the division could be in jeopardy, already the Mets are six back in the loss column.

The 8-11 Mets starting pitching has been solid and the Mets have wasted much of it. The 13-5 Nationals have not wasted their starting pitching.

The Nationals have gotten 11 straight quality starts, including eight innings from winner Max Scherzer Sunday night. No starting staff has turned in more starts in which the starter has gone seven innings while allowing three earned runs or fewer than the Nats who have done it 10 times already.

Then there is the Murphy difference in the lineups.

Murphy lives to hit, especially against the Mets, and continues to destroy his old team, making the Mets decision to let him get away to the Nationals for three years at $37.5 million, after his historic 2015 postseason, one of the worst decisions the Mets have ever made.

Ryan Zimmerman added a two-run bomb in the eighth against Josh Smoker. The Nats have mighty weapons in 3-4-5 hitters, Bryce Harper, Zimmerman and Murphy, who have combined for 16 home runs.

“A sweep against anyone is hard to do in this league,’’ Zimmerman said. “It was a good first series but it’s early. We know we’ve got a lot more work to do than just three games against those guys. That’s a really good team.’’

Baker knows the Mets are banged up, but acknowledged, “It was a great weekend here. We played well.’’

Michael Conforto continued his hot hitting with a leadoff home run in the first and said of the weekend, “Anytime someone comes in and takes three from us we’re going to be upset.’’

The bright spot of the night was an adjustment Wheeler made on his changeup, a tip from Jacob deGrom, putting his thumb more underneath the ball.

Pitching though isn’t the Mets’ problem, it’s keeping position players healthy.

Yes, it’s only the third week of April but these games count as much as games down the stretch. The Nationals have set a tone against the Mets under Baker, essentially saying they own the Mets and the division.

The Mets go to Washington next weekend. Maybe they will get healthy but this is the worst start imaginable.

Murphy and the Nats own the Mets and the division right now.