Final Score: Nationals 5, Mets 2—Speed kills

After a disheartening loss to open the series, the Mets followed that up with a painful 5-2 defeat. Zack Wheeler got the start and was not bad but a few well placed hits by Wilmer Difo and Pedro Severino put the Nationals ahead in the fourth.

Wheeler had a good day at the plate and helped get a rally started an inning later. He scored on Asdrubal Cabrera’s sacrifice fly after Amed Rosario moved him to third with a double. A bad throw allowed Rosario to take third and he came home when Yoenis Cespedes grounded out.

Wheeler would depart the game after the sixth having allowed just the three runs. The Mets had an opportunity to tie the game when Gio Gonzalez left with the tying run on third base with one out, but Jose Reyes struck out and Amed Rosario popped up to end the inning.

After Robert Gsellman allowed the Nationals to extend the lead, the Mets once again had a runner on third with one out but both Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce struck out to strand the runners.

Trea Turner and the Nationals ran wild all night which put runners constantly in scoring position and it burned the Mets every time. The final blow came when Tomas Nido finally got off a good throw but Amed Rosario missed the tag. Michael A. Taylor went to third on a ground ball and it was 5-2 another ground ball later.

Gerson Bautista made his debut in the ninth and pitched a scoreless inning to keep the score where it was, but the offense couldn’t muster a comeback against the Nationals’ closer.

Full recap to follow.

GameThread Roll Call

Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; her effort in the GameThread embiggens us all.

1. amazins8669: 195
2. MetsFan4Decades: 158
3. stickguy: 60
4. JR and the Off-Balance Shots: 49
5. Jets Mets Devils Nets 16: 42
6. Knurk: 33
7. Grominator: 32
8. The Nameless One: 29
9. AnneInFlushing: 28
10. misterzero23: 28