Mets Can't Overcome Tough Carrasco Outing As Loss To Nats Concludes Long Night

 

Washington's Dominic Smith connecting on his two-run single in the first inning off Carlos Carrasco. Photo by Jason Schott.

Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco had his third tough outing out of the All-Star break, as the Washington Nationals tagged him for eight runs on their way to an 11-6 win on Saturday night at Citi Field.

This was a tough, long night for the Mets, which began with the trade of one of their ace pitchers, Max Scherzer, to the Texas Rangers (click here for our coverage). It also saw this game get delayed by one hour and 20 minutes due to rain, which pushed the first pitch back to 8:30.

The game began with C.J. Abrams bouncing one to Mark Vientos, who was making a rare start at third base, and he made a sloppy throw that pulled first baseman Mark Canha off the bag, which allowed Abrams to reach.

Vientos got another chance immediately, as Lane Thomas chopped one down the line to him, and he made that play with ease for the first out.

Jeimer Candelario then hit one to second base, where Danny Mendick was in for Jeff McNeil, who moved back to right field, and it hopped up and out of his glove.

That was ruled a hit for Candelario, and then Joey Meneses launched a rocket to left field to bring in Abrams and make it 1-0 Nats.

Then, Carrasco got Luis Garcia to bounce one to first base, and Canha, Mendick, and Carrasco all went for it, leaving the bag uncovered.

Garcia ran through it easily, and Washington had the bases loaded for old friend Dom Smith, and he dunked one into left field to bring in a pair of runs. Stone Garrett followed with a sacrifice fly, and the Nationals were up, 4-0.

In the second, Alex Call singled, took second base on a balk, and came in to score on a double from Candelario to make it 5-0.

The Mets got one back against Washington starter Patrick Corbin in the bottom of the second, as Canha singled and scored on a double from Vientos.

Washington went right back to work in the third, as Garcia singled, and then with one out, Garrett walked, and Riley Adams laced a two-run double down the left field line to make it 7-1, and that chased Carrasco from the game.

Reed Garrett was first out of the Mets bullpen, making his debut with the Amazin's, and he allowed an RBI single to Thomas, which made it 8-1, and that closed the book for Carrasco.

The final line for the Mets starter was: 2 1/3 innings, 8 hits, 8 runs, 6 earned, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Carrasco fell to 3-5 on the season, and his ERA (earned run average) jumped to 6.40. 

This was the second straight start he lasted just 2 1/3 innings, as the Red Sox put up five runs and 10 hits on him last Sunday night at Fenway Park in a 6-1 Boston win. Before that, on July 18 against the Chicago White Sox, despite being staked out to a big lead by the Mets' offense, he only lasted 4 2/3 innings, in which he allowed four runs on six hits, and failing to earn the win in an 11-10 victory for the Mets.

The Mets did get back into it, as Tommy Pham blasted one to deep left field for a solo home run to open the fourth. That was his 10th homer of the season, as he is likely to also be shipped out before Tuesday's trade deadline.

Then, in the fifth, after Brandon Nimmo got hit by a pitch with two outs, which elicited no reaction from the Mets dugout, per usual, Francisco Lindor crushed one to left field for a two-run shot that made it 8-4. That was his 20th homer of the season, along with 64 RBI.

It remained that score until the ninth when Washington put up three runs against Mets reliever Grant Hartwig.

The Mets got a pair solo shots in the bottom of the ninth, as Francisco Diaz hit #20, and Vientos got his second of the season. Vientos' first was a memorable one, on May 17 in the Mets' wild comeback, which also featured an Alvarez homer, over Tampa Bay.

Corbin went 5 2/3 innings, and allowed four runs (all earned) on six hits and no walks, with two strikeouts, to improve to 7-11 on the season, and his ERA ticked up slightly to 5.07.

The Mets fell to 49-55, and the finale of this four-game set is on Sunday afternoon when they send Justin Verlander to the mound in what could be his final start for the Amazin's.