Mets Complete Sweep Of Nationals

 

Seth Lugo pitching to Riley Adams in the sixth inning Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets completed their sweep of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday afternoon with a 5-0 win at Citi Field, and it was their second straight shutout. They went a perfect 6-0 on the homestand to improve their National League-best record to 35-17.

The Mets did it on both sides of the ball, as they put up 28 runs in three days - 13-5 on Monday, won 10-0 on Tuesday, and this 5-0 final - and on the mound, as just five runs in the series, and just two after Washington put up a three-spot in the first inning on Monday.

Tomas Nido basically provided all the offense the Mets needed in this one, as he went 4-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. 

Carlos Carrasco got the start for the Mets in this one, and he battled his way through five innings, in which he didn't allow a run despite yielding four hits and five walks. He also struck out five, on his way to earning the win to improve to 6-1 on the season and lower his earned run average (ERA) to 3.63.

The right-hander gave up a walk to Nelson Cruz in the first and a single to Maikel Franco in the second, but he really ran into trouble in the third when he walked the bases loaded after retiring the first two batters, and struck out Yadiel Hernandez to get out of the jam. He allowed a pair of runners each in the fourth and fifth, and was able to escape trouble.

The Nationals sent left-handed Evan Lee to the mound for his first Major League start. The 24-year-old entered the season as Washington's No. 21 prospect, according to Baseball America. They called him up from Double-A Harrisburg, where he made seven starts, and threw 30.0 innings, in which he allowed 13 runs (12 earned) on 25 hits and 15 walks, while striking out 37, with an ERA of 3.60.

Lee's start mirrored Carrasco's for the first three innings, as he allowed two hits, two walks, and a hit bastman, but kept the Mets off the board. 

That changed in the fourth when J.D. Davis led off with a single, and then Luis Guillorme drew a one-out walk before Tomas Nido laced a long single to bring them both in and make it 2-0 Mets. Nido was only credited with one RBI, as Guillorme came in on an errant throw from Nats center fielder Dee Strange-Gordon, in which Nido also took second. Both runs counted as earned, so strange Nido just didn't get credited two RBI.

Lee then got Brandon Nimmo to fly out to right field for then second out, and that was all for Lee, and his final line read: 3 2/3 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs (both earned), 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts, 67 pitches (35 strikes).

Carrasco exited after the fifth, and Seth Lugo came on and pitched two solid innings, in which he allowed just a single and got a strikeout.

The Mets tacked on another run in the seventh, when Nido singled and later came in on a sacrifice fly from Francisco Lindor.

Adam Ottavino came on for the eighth, and he worked around a hit by Josh Bell and a walk to Hernande with a pair of strikeouts by Franco and Luis Garcia, and got pinch-hitter Keibert Ruiz (up for Riley Adams) to bounce out to second.

In the bottom of the eighth, Nido was at it again, as he laced a two-run double to blow it open at 5-0. Even though it wasn't a save situation anymore after that, Edwin Diaz came on and struck out the side in the ninth.