Mets Beat Nationals 7-3 Powered by Lindor and Alonso

Mets SS Francisco Lindor (Photo Credits to Brad Mills-USA Today Sports)

 The New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 7-3 tonight at Nationals Park for their seventh consecutive win and improved their record to 65-37.

After a scoreless top of the first, 1B Pete Alonso walked to lead off the top of the second against LHP Patrick Corbin and two batters later LF Mark Canha singled.

3B Eduardo Escobar flew out, but then 2B Jeff McNeil hit a RBI single which scored Alonso to tie the game.

Catcher Tomas Nido followed with a RBI single and then Brandon Nimmo reached on an infield single to load the bases.

RF Starling Marte followed with a RBI single to bring in the third run of the inning.

In the top of the third, Alonso hit a solo homer on a line drive to left center field for his 27th homer of the year.

After scoreless innings in the top of the fourth and fifth, Nimmo doubled with two outs and then Marte was hit by a pitch.

Lindor came up next and broke the game open with a three-run homer to left center field in the bullpen for his 18th homer of the year.

RHP Max Scherzer had a tough beginning after he gave up a walk to RF Juan Soto and then 1B Josh Bell hit a flyball to Marte and then Marte threw it in to second, but no one was there which allowed Soto to score and resulted in an unearned run due to the error by Marte.

Scherzer was able to recover after that with scoreless innings in the bottom of the second and third, but then ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth.

He gave up a lead-off homer to Soto and then gave up singles to LF Yadiel Hernandez, DH Nelson Cruz and SS Luis Garcia which brought in another run.

Scherzer settled down in the inning and was able to keep the lead and then was able to get into a groove with scoreless innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings.

He retired the first two hitters he faced in the bottom of the seventh and was then taken out.

His final line was 6.2 innings, six hits, three runs (two earned), two walks and five strikeouts.

Scherzer battled through despite not having his best stuff and managed to overcome some jams to throw a terrific outing.

He picked up his seventh win.

LHP Joely Rodriguez followed and got the last out in the bottom of the seventh and the first two outs in the bottom of the eighth and was taken out.

RHP Adam Ottavino appeared next and closed it out by recording the last four outs.

The Mets next game is tomorrow night, Tuesday August 2 at the Nationals at 7:05 p.m.