The Mets had their bats go quiet once again, as the Nationals split Saturday’s doubleheader with a 6-2 win in the nightcap.
Here are the key takeaways …
– It didn’t take long for the Nats to get to Robert Gsellman, as leadoff man Kyle Schwarber lofted a home run to left-center on Gsellman’s third pitch of the night, giving Washington an early 1-0 lead. Gsellman allowed three hits in the first inning, but a double-play ball loomed large, as the Nats scored just once in the inning.
Gsellman pitched a 1-2-3 second inning, but when his spot in the batting order came up in the top of third, Luis Rojas elected to pinch-hit with Billy McKinney. Gsellman went 2.0 innings, allowing one earned on three hits.
– Fresh off the IL, Albert Almora Jr. came just a few feet away from launching his first home run of the season in his first at-bat of the game, slamming a double off the wall in left-center for a double. For Almora, it was his first extra-base hit of the season, but he’d end up stranded there.
– Sean Reid-Foley followed Gsellman out of the bullpen and was promptly greeted by Trea Turner, who launched a solo home run on a hanging breaking ball to make it 2-0 in the third inning.
Things really crumbled for Reid-Foley in the fourth inning. After a pair of singles gave the Nats runners on the corners with nobody out, Starlin Castro slashed a ground-rule double to right field out of the reach of a diving Kevin Pillar to make it 3-0. And later in the inning, it was Schwarber with another big blow, a three-run shot to right to blow the game wide open at 6-0.
– Yennsy Diaz, called up as the 27th man for Saturday’s doubleheader, pitched out of the bullpen in Saturday’s nightcap, going 2.1 scoreless innings.
– Francisco Lindor singled up the middle in the sixth inning, giving him his fourth hit of the doubleheader. James McCann followed up with a double to give the Mets runners at second and third with one out, but Pete Alonso flew out and Pillar went down looking (on a more than questionable strike three call) to end the inning.
– With Jon Lester looking to complete the shutout in the seventh, pinch-hitter Tomas Nido singled and Jose Peraza lifted a two-run homer to put the Mets on the board at 6-2. With Wander Suero in to pitch, Almora notched his second double, and Luis Guillorme walked later in the inning, forcing the Nats to go to closer Brad Hand. The Nats’ closer quickly forced McCann to ground out to end the game.
Highlights
What’s next
The Mets and Nats close out their four-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. on SNY.
Taijuan Walker will toe the rubber against Patrick Corbin.