James Wood singled to drive in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Washington Nationals rallied past the Mets 5-4 on Friday night, snapping New York’s seven-game winning streak.
With Washington trailing 4-3, Dylan Crews led off the ninth against Ryne Stanek (0-1) with his third hit, a triple off Juan Soto’s glove at the wall, and scored on a single up the middle by Jose Tena.
After a pair of force outs left CJ Abrams on first, Wood hit a grounder that barely eluded second baseman Jeff McNeil and Abrams raced all the way around, just beating Tyrone Taylor’s throw home.
Abrams, who came off the injured list on Thursday, had an RBI triple and an RBI single for Washington.
Jorge Lopez (2-0) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the win.
With New York trailing 3-0 in the eighth, McNeil hit a leadoff single off Jake Irvin and Taylor hit into a fielder’s choice. Jose A. Ferrer replaced Irvin, and after Francisco Lindor popped out, Soto singled and Pete Alonso walked to load the bases. Brandon Nimmo’s infield hit up the middle made it 3-1.
Closer Kyle Finnegan came on to face Mark Vientos, who hit a blooper down the right field line that eluded a diving Crews, scoring all three runners to put the Mets ahead 4-3.
New York starter Kodai Senga allowed two runs on six hits over six innings.
Washington starter Irvin finished with a no-decision after being charged with a run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the second when Crews doubled with two outs and scored on a single by Tena.
In the third, Jacob Young led off with a single and scored on a triple by Abrams to make it 2-0.
Nimmo and Vientos singled to start the Mets’ fourth, but Jesse Winker lined to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who threw to shortstop Abrams at second and took the return throw to complete a triple play. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza argued that the ball skipped to Lowe, but the play was not eligible to be reviewed.
In the Washington seventh, Crews singled and later scored on Abrams’ dribbler between the mound and first base to make it 3-0.
–Field Level Media
