The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Mets sweep doubleheader from the Nats
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso hit a game-ending homer with one out in the seventh inning and the New York Mets quickly bounced back from blowing the lead, beating the Washington Nationals 5-4 Thursday for a doubleheader sweep.
The Mets won the opener 4-1 as Brandon Nimmo homered and drove in four runs and Marcus Stroman took a shutout into the sixth. New York took a 4-1 lead, too, into the seventh of the second game before the Nationals rallied against Trevor May and Jeurys Familia (6-2). A run-scoring wild pitch by Familia and Andrew Stevenson’s twoout, two-run single tied it.
Alonso capped a long, humid day with his 25th homer, lifting a 2-0 sinker against Kyle Finnegan (4-4) for a high-arching drive to left field beyond the leaping try of Stevenson.
Alonso flung his helmet in the air and was mobbed by his teammates at the plate. Before heading into the clubhouse, the All-Star Home Run Derby champ ripped off his jersey to the cheering fans.
It was Alonso’s second career game-ending homer and fourth career gameending hit.
Heading into a stretch of 13 straight games against talented NL West teams San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Mets won their third straight, their best string since taking three in a row from June 14-16.
The three-game sweep of
the Nats followed a recent rut of seven losses in eight games that dropped the Mets out of the NL East lead.
Washington, which traded away eight players at the deadline, lost for the 16th time in 21 games
Starter Trevor Williams allowed 1one run and three hits in 4 ⁄3 innings in the nightcap and became the 18th starter used by New York. The team record is 20 set in 1967, Hall of Famer Tom Seaver’s rookie season.
Jonathan Villar hit his 13th homer, connecting off Tanner Rainey for a tworun drive that put New York ahead with a 4-1 lead in Game 1.
Nimmo tied a career high with four RBIs. He hit a three-run homer in the second against Sean Nolin
(0-1) and singled in the fourth to make it 4-0.
“He’s been swinging the bat like that all season now,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said. “He’s been clutch for us. He got all our runs in. He’s on the fastball. That’s what I like the most.”
Stroman (8-11) allowed one run and three hits in 5 ⁄3
1 innings to break a threestart losing streak. He struck out eight and walked two.
“It was definitely a good win for the team,” Stroman said. “I just feel like it’s a momentum we can continue to carry on into the next game.”
Stroman, who hadn’t won since throwing a one-hitter at Cincinnati on July 21, battled through hot, humid conditions at Citi Field. In the fourth, he grimaced after fielding a grounder. He hunched over briefly, was visited by a trainer and resumed his outing after drinking a bottle of water.
“It was really hot. He’s known to sweat profusely on days like this and that’s exactly what was going on out there,” Rojas said. “That’s what happened there when we came out to check on him.”
Stroman had a bunt single in the third that eluded Nolin on the third-base side of the mound as Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom played back. Nimmo followed by hitting Nolin’s full-count cutter over the right-field fence.
“I’m not a great hitter, so anytime I see an opportunity to lay one down and push it to the next guy, especially Nimmo who has been great with the bat all year,” Stroman said.
Edwin Diaz tossed a scoreless seventh for his 25th save in 29 chances.
Victor Robles hit an RBI double for Washington.
OUCH
Reliever Andres Machado replaced Nolin and hit his first batter, Alonso, on the hand with a 95 mph fastball.
Alonso fell down and said something to Machado, and a few Mets jumped over the dugout railing. Umpires spoke to Machado briefly and things did not escalate further.
COUNT TO 12
Thursday was the Mets’ 12th doubleheader and they have two more remaining on Aug. 31 against Miami and Sept. 4 in Washington. New York has swept three doubleheaders and split the other nine.