Nationals Come Up Short as Mets Complete Sweep With 4-3 Win
By Brian Hradsky, Maryland Sports Blog
The Washington Nationals grabbed an early two-run lead Sunday afternoon, but the New York Mets answered with four straight runs and held on for a 4-3 victory at Citi Field.
Washington managed only five hits and could not complete a late comeback as New York finished off a three-game sweep. The Nationals fell behind in the series despite playing each of the final two games within one run.
The bright spot for Washington continued to be rookie first baseman Abimelec Ortiz, who launched his fifth home run of the season and continued an impressive start to his Major League career. Ortiz is now tied with Joey Meneses for the most home runs through a player’s first 14 games in Nationals history, dating to the franchise’s move to Washington in 2005.
Nationals strike first
Washington opened the scoring in the second inning.
Keibert Ruiz delivered an RBI single to give the Nationals a 1-0 advantage against Mets starter Christian Scott.
Ortiz doubled the lead one inning later when he drove a solo home run to left-center field. The blast gave Washington a 2-0 advantage and continued Ortiz’s recent power surge.
Ortiz has hit safely in seven of his last eight games dating back to Aug. 8, with four home runs and eight RBIs during that stretch. He has quickly become one of the more intriguing young hitters in Washington’s revamped lineup.
The Nationals acquired Ortiz from the Texas Rangers as part of the MacKenzie Gore trade. The 24-year-old entered Sunday ranked as Washington’s No. 19 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
One inning changes the game
Washington starter Jake Irvin kept New York off the scoreboard through three innings before the Mets took control in the fourth.
Jared Young reached and eventually scored when Jorge Polanco grounded out, cutting Washington’s lead to 2-1.
The major blow followed immediately.
Luis Torrens drove a two-run home run 407 feet to center field, suddenly turning Washington’s 2-0 advantage into a 3-2 Mets lead.
New York added what became a critical insurance run in the fifth. Young doubled home another run, extending the lead to 4-2.
Young finished 2-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to six games, while Bo Bichette went 3-for-3 with a walk as part of New York’s 10-hit afternoon.
Irvin gives Nationals six innings
Irvin stayed in the game and provided Washington with some needed length despite the fourth- and fifth-inning damage.
The right-hander completed a season-high six innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out six.
He took the loss and dropped to 2-7 with a 5.80 ERA. It was his longest outing since returning after missing more than two months with a right shoulder injury.
Considering his recent injury history, getting six innings from Irvin was at least an encouraging development for a Nationals club evaluating its rotation for the remainder of the season.
The issue was that one bad stretch proved costly.
Washington led 2-0 after three innings before New York scored three times in the fourth and once in the fifth.
Ruiz pulls Washington within one
The Nationals gave themselves another opportunity in the seventh.
Scott remained in the game and allowed Washington to put runners aboard before Ruiz delivered his second RBI single of the afternoon, trimming New York’s lead to 4-3.
Scott was removed with two runners aboard and one out.
That became Washington’s best chance to tie the game.
Mets reliever Nate Lavender entered and retired both batters he faced to escape the jam without allowing the tying run to score. Scott finished with 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Scott improved to 4-3 with a 3.51 ERA.
Mets bullpen shuts the door
Washington did not produce another hit after Ruiz’s seventh-inning single.
Daniel Duarte worked a perfect eighth before former Mets starter Kodai Senga handled the ninth.
Senga retired Washington in order and struck out two, including Harry Ford to end the game. It was Senga’s third save.
New York’s bullpen combined to retire all eight Nationals hitters it faced after Scott departed.
That effectively ended any hopes of Washington salvaging the series finale.
Ortiz continues making an impression
The development of Ortiz may ultimately be more important to Washington than the result of individual games down the stretch.
His fifth homer put him alongside Meneses for the most home runs by a Nationals player through his first 14 Major League games.
Among MLB players this season, only Cleveland’s Chase DeLauter also reached five homers within his first 14 career games.
Ortiz has also provided Washington with badly needed production while James Wood remains sidelined with a left oblique strain.
Manager Blake Butera praised Ortiz’s ability to control the strike zone and attack pitches he can drive.
The Nationals have increasingly paired Ortiz with Andrés Chaparro, giving Washington another way to generate offense while evaluating younger players.
MSB Take
Sunday’s loss followed a frustrating formula for Washington.
The Nationals did enough early to put themselves in position to win, received six innings from their starter and got another major contribution from one of their emerging young hitters.
They simply did not generate enough offense after the early innings.
Washington finished with three runs on five hits, while New York produced four runs on 10 hits. The Mets committed the game’s only error, but the Nationals never found a way to turn it into enough additional offense.
The encouraging part remains Ortiz.
At this stage of Washington’s season, discovering players who could become part of the next competitive Nationals roster matters tremendously. Ortiz’s power has been legitimate, and every additional opportunity gives Washington more information about whether he can become a long-term answer at first base or designated hitter.
However, getting swept by a division opponent still stings.
The Mets have won nine of 12 games since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, while Washington has gone 5-8 during that span. New York’s sweep also moved the Mets within 3½ games of the Nationals in the National League East standings.
For Washington, the remainder of the season will continue to be about development, evaluation and finding pieces for the future.
Ortiz certainly looks like one worth watching.
Final: New York Mets 4, Washington Nationals 3
