Mets Beat The Nationals 4-0 behind strong defense and an impressive outing by Taijuan Walker

Mets RHP Taijuan Walker (Credits to MetsMerizedOnline.com) The New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 4-0 this afternoon at Citi Field to take two out of three games in the series and improved their record to 9-8. The offense got off to a fast start in the bottom of the first inniing after 1B Pete Alonso walked with one out and then two batters later 3B J.D. Davis hit a two-run homer. Davis led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single and then RF Michael Conforto folowed with a double to advance runners to second and third. Catcher James McCann then hit a RBI single to bring in Davis, but no more runs were able to score after CF Brandon Nimmo struck out with the based loaded and two out. Alonso led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer that went 439 feet to centerfield for his fifth homer of the season. RHP Taijuan Walker made his fourth start of the year and helped himself out in the top of the first after he picked off 2B Josh Harrison who led off the game with a single. Later in the first, he got SS Trea Turner to line out to right field and 1B Josh Bell to line out to second base to end the inning. Walker had an easy 1-2-3 top of the second inning on 13 pitches He was helped out by defense in the top of the third inning after CF Victor Robles was thrown out at third base trying to get a triple after two perfect relay throws by RF Michael Conforto and 2B Jonathan Villar. Walker walked Nationals LHP Patrick Corbin and gave up a single to LF Yadiel Hernandez, but got out of the inning after Turner flew out to right field. He settled into a groove after that with 1-2-3 innings in the top of the fourth and fifth innings. In the top of the sixth inning, Walker got into a jam after he walked Hernandez and gave up a single to Turner with one out, but was helped out by his defense once against after CF Albert Almora made an incrdible leaping catch with two outs to rob LF Kyle Schwarber of a two-run double. He finishd up his outstanding outing with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh and was taken out after the inning. His final line was 7 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. Walker picked up his first win of the year and lowered his ERA to 2.14. RHP Miguel Castro followed in the top of the eighth and gave up a lead-off single to pinch-hitter Andrew Stevenson and then struck out Harrison and gave up a single to Hernandez, but then came back to strike out pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmermann and Bell to get out of the jam and end the inning. RHP Edwin Diaz came on in the top of the ninth in a non-save situation and threw a 1-2-3 inning to close it out after Schwarber flew out to left, 3B Starlin Castro lined out to Almora and Alonso made a terrific diving stop to his ground to retire catcher Yan Gomes to end the inning. The Mets are off tomorrow and return to action on Tuesday, April 27th at home against the Boston Red Sox at 7:10 p.m.