Mets Beat Nationals 11-9 In Game 1 of Doubleheader And Almost Blow Lead

Mets SS Francisco Lindor (Photo Credits to Getty Images) The New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 11-9 this afternoon in Washington D.C. in the first game of the doubleheader for their sixth consecutive win and improved their record to 68-67. The offense got off to a fast start in the top of the first after 3B Jonathan Villar led off with an infield single and then CF Brandon Nimmo followed with a single. SS Francisco Lindor then drove in a run with a RBI single and 1B Pete Alonso followed with a sacrifice fly. 2B Javier Bavier led off the top of the second with a solo homer and LF Jeff McNeil reached first on an error by SS Alcides Escobar. Catcher Patrick Mazieka then grounded into a fiedler's choice and RHP Marcus Stroman hit a sacrifice bunt to move Mazieka to second. Villar then reached on an infield single which brought home a run. Nimmo followed with a RBI single. Lindor then hit a sacrifice fly. In the top of the third, Baez led off with a double and then two batters later, Mazieka hit a RBI single. In the following inning, Lindor led off with a single and then two batters later RF Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer. The bats didn't do much for the next couple of innings until the top of the ninth after Lindor led off with a two-run homer to drive in CF Albert Almora Jr who was the automatic runner at second base since he made the last out in the top of the eighth. RHP Marcus Stroman cruised through the first though innings, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth after he gave up four consecutive base runners to start the inning which led to a based loaded walk to LF Andrew Stevenson and the sacrifice flies to CF Lane Thomas and Escobar. Stroman was able to regroup with a scoreless bottom of the fifth and was then taken out. His final line was 5 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. RHP Migeul Castro came in next and was hurt by his defense with two errors and then gave up a two-run double to Escobar. LHP Brad Hand came on in the bottom of the sixth and was also hurt by his defense after Alonso made a poor throw to him at first. Hand later gave up a two-run single to RF Juan Soto, but was able to get out of the inning after he got pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmermann to ground into a double play. RHP Seth Lugo came on in the bottom of the seventh to close it out and got two outs, but then gave up a two-run homer to Stevenson which tied the game. RHP Trevor May followed in the bottom of the eighth and worked out ofa based loaded one out jam to keep the game tied. RHP Heath Hembree then threw a scoreless bottom of the ninth and picked up his ninth save. The Mets next game is tonight at the Nationals in the second game of the doubleheader beginning at 6:05 p.m.