Mets Lose To Nationals 5-1 And Waste DeGrom's First Start

Mets RHP Jacob deGrom (Photo Credits to Alex Brandon-AP)

 The New York Mets lost to the Washington Nationals 5-1 tonight at Nationals Park in Washington, DC to snap their seven-game winning streak and dropped their record to 65-38.

RHP Jacob deGrom made his first start in 391 days after he never returned last year after the All-Star Break last year due to forearm and elbow discomfort and was shutdown from throwing in spring training this year due to a stress reaction on right scaptula.

deGrom cruised through the first three innings with five strikeouts, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth after he gave up a lead-off single to CF Victor Robles and then a RBI double to SS Luis Garcia, but did not any more runs in the inning. 

DeGrom had a scoreless bottom of the fifth and was taken out after the inning.

His final line was five innings, three hits, one run, zero walks and six strikeouts.

DeGrom was in midseason form and did not show any rust in his first start after a long layoff with a blazing fastball topping out at 102 mph with a sharp slider and change-up.

It bodes him for him and the rest of the rotation if he and RHP Max Scherzer continue to pitch like this at the top of the rotation.

RHP Stephen Nogosek came in next and had a difficult outing allowing three runs on back-to-back homers on a two-run homer by Garcia and a solo homer to LF Yadiel Hernandez.

RHP Yoan Lopez followed in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a solo homer to CF Joey Menesis.

RHP Tommy Hunter threw a scoreless bottom of of the eighth.

The offense did not much against RHP Corey Abbot until SS Francisco Lindor hit a solo homer in the top of the sixth.

The bats struggled all night outside of Lindor's homer and went 0-3 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base.

The Mets next game is tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday August 3rd at the Nationals at 4:05 p.m.