Mets Beat Nationals 4-2 Led By Another Outstanding Start From Carlos Carrasco

Mets RHP Carlos Carrasco (Photo Credits to Yahoo Sports)

 The New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 tonight at Nationals Park in Washington D.C for their second consecutive win and improved their record to 21-10.

The offense wasted several scoring opportunities in the first five innings, but came alive in the top of the sixth after 1B Pete Alonso and DH J.D. Davis singled and 3B Eduardo Escobar walked to load the bases.

2B Jeff McNeil came up and delivered a two-run double past 1B Josh Bell to tie the game.

Catcher James McCann followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.

After scoreless innings in the top of the seventh and eighth innings, LF Mark Canha reached on an error by 3B Maikel Franco to lead off the ninth and then SS Francisco Lindor followed with a single.

Alonso was then intentionally walked to load the bases and Davis came up and drove in a much needed insurance run with a sacrifice fly.

RHP Carlos Carrasco cruised through the first three innings, but in the bottom of the fourth he ran into trouble after he gave up one-out singles to 1B Josh Bell and DH Nelson Cruz and then two batters he allowed a RBI single to Franco.

Carrasco gave up a solo homer to catcher Riley Adams in the bottom of the fifth, but did not allow any more runs after that.

Carrasco retired the last two hitters he faced in the fifth and was helped out by getting Bell to ground into a double play in the bottom of the sixth.

Carrasco retired the first two hitters he faced in the bottom of the seventh and then gave up a single to SS Dee Strange-Gordon and was then taken out.

His final line was 6.2 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks and 5 strikeouts.

Carrasco had outstanding control and command  once again especially with his off-speed pitches.

He picked up his third win and lowered his ERA to 3.19.

RHP Drew Smith followed and got the last out in the bottom of the seventh.

Smith stayed in for the bottom of the eighth and walked CF Victor Robles with one out, but then recovered to strike out 2B Cesar Hernandez for the second out.

LHP Joely Rodriguez had to come in and retired superstar RF Juan Soto on a pop-out to end the inning.

RHP Edwin Diaz came on in the bottom the ninth and struck out the first hitter he faced. Diaz then gave up a single to Cruz, but came back to induce a game-ending double play by LF Yadiel Hernandez and picked up his seventh save.

The Mets next game is at the Nationals tomorrow night, Wednesday May 11th at 7:05 p.m.