June 3, 2024 – Mets 8, Nats 7

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WAS/WAS202406030.shtml

 

Time: 3:18

Attendance: 20,575 (a significant proportion of whom were rooting loudly for the New Yorkers)

Start Time Weather: 84° F, Wind 2mph out to Leftfield, Cloudy, No Precipitation.

 

It was a long night at the ballpark, despite this season’s 20-minute-earlier 6:45 start times. Washington’s usually-stalwart pitching didn’t get it done, allowing just enough runs that the team’s valiant 9th-inning rally fell agonizingly short. To be honest, I’m not sure I would have stayed for extra innings.

 

MacKenzie Gore didn’t have his command, wasn’t able to control the running game, and saw his ERA increase by over half a run by the end of the evening. The visitors had a man in scoring position in each of his innings, and he (and the team) were lucky to have a 1-1 tie after three, as his pitch count continued to escalate. New York took the lead with two runs in the top of the 4th, but the Nats rallied in the bottom of the frame to take their one and only lead of the night. After singles by Nick Senzel and Jesse Winker put runners on the corners, Ildemaro Vargas hustled down to first base to just beat the throw on a potential double-play grounder, scoring Senzel. Joey Gallo then exhibited the best side of this three-true-outcomes persona, blasting one out of the park to put the Nats in front.

 

The top of the 5th was a complete disaster. Walk, single, wild pitch, another walk to load the bases with one out. At that point, Davey Martinez had seen enough and brought in Dylan Floro. Floro didn’t fare any better, allowing all three inherited runners to score and giving up one of his own, putting the Mets up 7-4. New York starter Tylor Megill did walk Winker with the bases loaded to force in a run in the bottom of the 5th, but the Mets got it right back on a throwing error by Washington reliever Jacob Barnes.

 

New York was almost undone again by its problematic bullpen in the bottom of the 9th, as Adam Ottavino started out by walking Luis García Jr. and hitting Keibert Ruiz with a pitch. One-out singles by Winker and Vargas brought the Nats within two runs and loaded the bases, chasing Ottavino. Joey Meneses pinch-hit for Gallo against southpaw reliever Jake Diekman and hit a sacrifice fly, plating another run but giving the Nats only one more out with which to work. Catcher Drew Millas, who had just been recalled from AAA, then fanned on three Diekman heaters to end it.

 

At least the weather was nice.