Rivera hit a game-deciding solo home run off Washingtn Nationals closer Mark Melancon in the 10th inning after a rare blown save by Jeurys Familia in Tuesday’s 4-3 win at Nationals Park. That was Rivera, who, five years later, has parlayed his break into a spot in the major leagues.
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Koda Glover tossed two scoreless in relief of Cole and Shawn Kelley worked a scoreless top of the eighth. For me, the biggest takeaway from last night’s game was Noah Syndergaard shutting down the offense in his start. “I was able to make some pitches when I needed to”. It was Rivera’s first career homer and it made the difference in a series-tying win for NY. He will be reevaluated Tuesday.
A year ago a win like this, with its crushing low moment followed by a no-he-didn’t exhilarating high, would have felt like destiny for the Mets, as they were in the process of burying the Nationals in the NL East. He was added to the Nationals’ 40-man roster earlier this month.
NY will start right-hander Rafael Montero against the Nationals on Monday. But the Nationals grabbed a 2-1 lead in the last of the first as Montero walked Harper and Ramos with the bases loaded to force in runs. NY took a 1-0 lead in the first as Reyes led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Yoenis Cespedes. The only run scored against him was a Wilson Ramos RBI single down the right field line in the second. The 25-year-old Dominican Republic native also struggled with his control in his previous start, walking six in five scoreless innings of the Mets’ 2-1 victory over Miami on August 29. Montero nonetheless walked three batters in that 37-pitch first inning.
“Somebody has to surprise you”, Collins said.
“You want to come here, especially when you haven’t been around the team much throughout the season”, Rivera said. “But he gets himself in trouble because he gets behind in counts”.
Jose Reyes hit a leadoff double in the first and later scored on a Yoenis Cespedes RBI sac fly to give NY a short-lived 1-0 lead.
Ramos and Ryan Zimmerman added RBI singles for Washington off Mets reliever Gabriel Ynoa.
Former Mets infielder Wally Backman will not return as the organization’s Triple-A manager in 2017.
Murphy, the postseason star for the Mets previous year, had a one-out double in the sixth to give him at least one hit in all 18 games against his former team this season.
Dusty Baker wasn’t around last September when the Mets put the finishing touches on the Nationals’ disappointing season en route to a surprising division title with a three-game sweep in NY. INF Wilmer Flores has been sitting out because a right wrist injury sustained Saturday in Atlanta, not because of neck soreness.
Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross (shoulder) is on track to join the Nationals’ rotation this week. In his 28 games (27 starts) and 13-8 record this year, Syndergaard holds a 2.48 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP in 167 innings. Montero made his third start of the season and Mat Latos made his first for Washington, but neither pitcher was around after the fifth as the Nationals built a 8-1 lead.
Murphy extended his hitting streak against the Mets to 18 games and has hit safely in every game against NY since signing with the Nationals as a free agent last winter.
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Left-hander Jerry Blevins struck out Murphy with a 3-2 curveball in the 10th inning for his first save since 2012 to seal the Mets’ 4-3 victory.
