You know, in baseball, when you score a couple of runs to take a lead, it’s imperative that you keep the other guys off the board in their at bat, preferably in order — what they call a “clean inning” nowadays. Well, the Mets took a lead and followed that with a disgustingly dirty, shabby inning.

Neither pitcher was on his “A” game in this one. Seth Lugo started for the Mets, on a strict pitch count, as he’s just off the Disabled List. He started off like a house afire, striking out the side in the first inning, but he was in the shower before the fourth was over. Tanner Roark started for Washington, and gave up only a couple of hits through the first five innings. The Nats jumped out front in the fourth on consecutive singles by Wilmer Difo, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Redon before an out was recorded. Adam Lind hit a fly to deep center and Washington led it, 2-0. Josh Smoker replaced Lugo and held the Nats at bay until he was pinch-hit for in the top of the sixth. It was in that sixth inning when the Mets tied it and then some. With one out, Jose Reyes hit a roller up the middle for a base hit. Juan Lagares split the left and center fielders with a long double up the gap as Reyes scampered home. Brandon Nimmo then launched a shot over the wall in left center and the Mets had a most unlikely lead. But heads up for that disgusting inning.

Hansel Robles started the bottom of the sixth by giving up- a single to Difo. Murphy lined out to Nimmo, but Rendon drew a walk. So did Adam Lind. So did Michael Taylor and the game was tied. Manager Terry Collins yanked Robles right there and summoned Chasen Bradford, who — you guessed it — walked Andrew Stevenson to give the lead back. Washington added some upholstery with a two-out homer off Erik Goeddel in the bottom of the eighth. That extra padding would prove important. The Mets threatened in the ninth. A leadoff single by pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud and a one-out safety by Gavin Cecchini put runners on first and second. After Matt Reynold flew out, Reyes hit a ball that clanked off the glove of Taylor in center and d’Arnaud scooted home. Lagares hit a line shot to left, but Alejandro De Aza was able to spear it and the Mets’ hard day’s night was over.

Mercifully, they’re off tomorrow, headed for Cincinnati for the first time this year.

7 comments on “Gut Reaction: Nationals 5 Mets 4 (8/27/17 — Game 2)

  • TexasGusCC

    Well, the kids do pretty well and only Cecchini seems overmatched to me. While the results aren’t there consistently, flashes mean possibilities. Could be that Checcini needs some regular playing time.

    Can’t understand how for the second time in less than a month Bozo the Manager just sat there and let Robles self destruct with a third straight walk, the third coming with loaded bases. Seems like he has such a quick hook for everyone else, yet Robles is given rope to hang himself and hurt the team. Don’t get it.

    – Lagares showing some flashes of possibly being an everyday bottom of the order hitter.
    – Flores proving that he can be a very good supportive player if the Mets can:
    1. Find him a position and leave him alone;
    2. He can work on his defense to make it an acceptable level.
    – Really like the new Plawecki offensively, he has improved quite a bit. His throwing,however, is a liability, but so is d’Arnaud’s.
    – Just watching the ESPN strike zone, that umpire tonight was squeezing Mets pitchers and giving Washington the black. I’m coming over to the electric strike zone side of the argument. Bradford didn’t walk that batter, the ump did.
    – And lastly, for a while Bozo was letting them pitch complete innings as long as they didn’t get into too much trouble and the bullpen had a great August. This weekend, he has been mixing and matching again. What happened?

    • CharlieHangley

      To your point on Flores… we were saying th e exact same thing about Daniel Murphy in 2009.

      Flores is Murph-lite.

      • Chris F

        Xtra lite

  • Metsense

    They played hard but lost because Robles and Bradford could not throw a strike when it mattered. Both pitchers are having nice second halves, and they look so good on the statistic sheets, but last night they failed when it mattered and the result was a loss.
    Plawecki is on a hot streak since his promotion, 389/476/611/1.087 while playing every other day. TC should ride him (we know what TDA can do) and see if Kevin can be offensively productive and earn a 2018 back up position.

  • Name

    Lugo – 5.72 ERA as a starter since July – Much like Gsellman, he shouldn’t even be in the discussion for starting games in April next year.

    • TexasGusCC

      Hitters sit on that curve, and it isn’t a sharp curve, just a very spiny one. It breaks early enough to be recognized and he falls in love with it so they just spit at the fastball. He needs to throw more fastballs as the guy throws in the 96-97 range. He also needs another plus pitch and to figure out how to make the curve brake a split second later. Maybe Frankie V has some answers…

      • Jimmy P

        What a year this poor guy has endured.

        It began when he inexplicably picked the WBC over an opportunity to compete for the #5 spot for the New York Mets.

        Then the injury.

        Now he’s pitching with a torn labrum, hoping it can hold together, fearing that it will blow apart. I don’t see how you can count on him. He’s like a horse you just want to ride and ride until you have to dismount and shoot him.

        Interesting as a reliever. But that’s where I want to start with this team: build the best bullpen possible with real depth at AAA. And accept that the modern starter is a six-inning guy, sometimes seven.

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