Tanner Roark frustrated the Mets, limiting them to three hits – all singles – over seven innings.
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Murphy and the Nationals (86-59) now lead the Mets by nine games in the National League East division as well.
Rodriguez hit for pitcher Felipe Rivero (1-5) with two on and one out and connected off Jeanmar Gomez (3-4). Rivera will hopefully be sticking around for awhile, but I said that about Brandon Nimmo when he first came up.
But important things like life events also take precedent, as Nationals manager Dusty Baker was not with the team Wednesday due to a death in the family. Bench coach Chris Speier managed team in Baker’s absence.
Luis Perdomo (8-9) allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings of four-hit ball. “I was saying some powerful prayers”.
Xander Bogaerts homered for Boston, which had won five of six.
“I think everybody is excited about it, being very close”, Ramos said.
Reliever Blake Treinen pitched the eighth and Mark Melancon got the final three outs for his 42 save. With his two singles on Wednesday, Turner now has 29 multi-hit games in 57 total outings, 54 of them starts. Walker (6-10) was flawless through 5 2/3 innings and didn’t give up a hit until Kole Calhoun’s leadoff single in the seventh.
Entering Wednesday, the Mets were the second NL wild card, a half-game back of the Giants and a half-game ahead of the Cardinals.
Anthony Rizzo hit a pair of home runs and Jon Lester pitched eight dominant innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-0 on Wednesday to clinch at least a wild-card playoff berth. But they really need to bounce back and get this one.
It was an emphatic breakthrough for the Nationals’ offense, which had little luck against Mets starter Robert Gsellman for much of the afternoon.
Roark goes seven scoreless: This was the ninth time this season that Roark has thrown seven or more scoreless innings in a start, more than any other Major League Baseball pitcher. That he allowed a home run on an 0-2 pitch to an unproven rookie was far more surprising. Gsellman threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings before he was removed after just 77 pitches in favor of a lefty-lefty matchup. The Mets left the bases loaded in the first as slumping Jay Bruce struck out and T.J. Rivera popped out. “You can see when he’s actually throwing strikes, you know, there’s not a lot of good swings”. Daniel Murphy has hit 180 times with 88 runs, 25 homers and 102 RBI. Rivera twice completed strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double plays with lasers to second base.
MARINERS 8, ANGELS 0: Taijuan Walker pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout as Seattle won its season-high seventh straight. OF Justin Ruggiano, on the DL since August 27, underwent left shoulder surgery.
Manager Terry Collins was not sure who would start the next time Montero’s turn comes up, but he ruled out giving the right-hander another opportunity.
Mets: Infielder Wilmer Flores missed his second straight game with a stiff neck. “The neck is fine”, Flores said. “But it’s just my wrist”.
Baker is in his first year as the Nationals skipper and is slated to join the team in Atlanta for a series that begins Friday against the Braves, according to the team.
It was the second time in his short major league career that Gsellman had frustrated the Nationals. Washington opens April 3 at home against Miami. The rookies were given ladies tennis clothing as part of some light hazing.
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Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (13-8) looks to snap a personal three-game losing streak against the Nationals as he makes his fifth start of the season against the NL East leaders.
