Homers spark Nationals past Mets
New York — The way things look right now, Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals are simply too much for the New York Mets to handle.
Trea Turner hit a leadoff homer and the Nationals backed Strasburg with three long balls Saturday, beating the Mets 7-4 to stay undefeated at Citi Field this season.
Adam Lind added a two-run shot and Jose Lobaton also went deep for the division leaders, who can finish a four-game sweep Sunday afternoon.
Washington is 6-0 in Queens this year — part of an impressive 24-12 mark on the road — and has won 12 of 16 at the Mets' home ballpark since the start of last season.
"I think it just shows the makeup of this team that we're very capable of winning on any given day, even when we're not firing on all cylinders," Strasburg said.
Yoenis Cespedes homered and had four hits for third-place New York, which dropped 11 1/2 games out of first.
The banged-up Mets (30-37) expected to challenge rival Washington at the top of the division, but injuries and poor pitching have taken their toll in a race that already looks lopsided.
Miami sits in second place, 11 games behind.
"We've got 90 left. We're going to show up all 90 of them and we'll keep playing," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "You can't tuck your tail between your legs and run and hide.
"We've got veteran leadership in there that won't let down," he added.
The top pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Strasburg squared off with a 34th-round selection in New York starter Seth Lugo.
Working exclusively out of the stretch, as he has since spring training, Strasburg (8-2) rebounded from his worst start of the season. He permitted two runs and six singles — all by Cespedes and Jay Bruce — in 5 1/3 innings. The talented right-hander struck out five and walked two.