Nats shut out record 3rd game in row; Wheeler, Mets win
NEW YORK » Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals were shut out for the third game in a row, something that had never happened since the team moved from Montreal, as Zack Wheeler and the New York Mets posted a 3-0 victory Saturday.
Amed Rosario and Todd Frazier hit solo home runs to back Wheeler, who pitched seven innings and won his seventh straight decision.
The Nationals fell to 64-66 — they’ve already lost more games than they dropped last year in going 97-65 to take their second consecutive NL East title.
Blanked by Aaron Nola and the Phillies on Thursday and by Jason Vargas and the Mets on Friday night, the Washington bats again went silent at Citi Field.
Not since they were the Montreal Expos and were shut out in three straight by the Florida Marlins at Olympic Stadium in 2004 had the franchise been held down like this. The Expos moved to Washington the next season.
Wheeler (9-6) gave up six hits and set a career-best winning streak. Daniel Zamora retired Harper on a flyball to begin the eighth and rookie Drew Smith got the next three outs.
Jerry Blevins recorded the last two outs, completing the combined sevenhitter.
The Nationals tried everything to eke out a run. Adam Eaton bunted for a single on the first pitch of the game and, all by himself, Trea Turner bunted, delivered a hit-and-run single and stole his major league-high 33rd base.
But nothing could get someone across the plate. Rookie teen Juan Soto struck out to strand runners at the corners in the first and bounced out to leave the bases loaded in the third.
Harper, leading the Nationals with 30 home runs and 81 RBIs, batted with two on in the fifth and hit a hard grounder up the middle that the Mets’ shifted infield turned into a fast double play to end the threat. Moments later, Harper and Soto were talking in shallow center field when they almost were hit by warmup ball tossed by an attendant.
Soto was later was caught stealing and also thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double.
Tanner Roark (8-13) limited the Mets to four hits in six innings, striking out seven without a walk.
Rosario homered in the sixth and Frazier connected in the seventh. Rookie Jeff McNeil singled twice and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.