Mets Let Nationals Know NL East Up for Grabs with Sweep of Nationals

All night long, it appeared Mickey Callaway was content to play with fire.  Tonight, he went too long with both Matt Harvey and Robert Gsellman, and it burned the Mets.  The question was whether it was going to cost the Mets the game.

Heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Mets had a 4-2 lead with both teams scoring runs off of big homers.  The Nationals came in the first when Bryce Harper, who once literally could not hit Harvey, hit a monster two run homer.

In the third, Tanner Roark completely lost the strike zone issuing three straight two out walks.  By the time he straightened himself out and threw a strike, Adrian Gonzalez wiould hit it for a grand slam giving the Mets a 4-2 lead:

The Nationals got a run back in the fourth against a laboring Harvey.  Harvey would allow an RBI double to Pedro Severino, and he had his chance to get out of the inning quickly with a Roark comebacker.  Harvey couldn’t make the play, but he would eventually get through the inning without allowing another run.  Part of the reason why was Anthony Rendon just missed a grand slam off the bat.

In the top of the fifth, Asdrubal Cabrera got a run back with a solo shot giving the Mets a 5-3 lead.

Surprisingly with Harper leading off the fifth, Callaway stuck with Harvey.  Well, Harper walked, and Matt Adams walked putting Harvey in immediate trouble.  For a split second, it seemed like Harvey would get out of it unscathed when Howie Kendrick hit into the 6-6-3 double play.  However, Trea Turner would deliver the RBI single to pull the Nationals within 5-4.

What is interesting is how things would be similar in the seventh inning.

After pitching a scoreless sixth, Callaway sent Gsellman out for a second inning even with Harper set to lead off the inning.  Gsellman wanted not part of him and issued a four pitch walk which set the inning off on the wrong foot.

Soon, it was runners on first and second with two outs, and it looked like the Mets were going to possibly get out of the inning.  Certainly, it seemed that way when a crossed up Todd Frazier was still able to get Harper out at third.  However, this time it was Michael Taylor delivering the key two out RBI single to tie the game at 5-5.

With that, a couple of questionable Callaway decisions helped turn this game into a dogfight and a battle of the bullpens.

The Mets bullpen, Seth Lugo specifically, came up huge in the ninth inning.  Harper led off the ninth because Anthony Rendon was picked off by Jerry Blevins.  This also meant Blevins was getting pulled from the game because his spot in the order was due up.

Like the rest of the Mets staff, and frankly, MLB, Lugo didn’t want Harper, and he walked him.  After throwing away a pickoff attempt and an Adams fly out to center, Harper was on third.  In response, Callaway ordered the bases loaded putting the hands directly in Lugo’s hands.  He responded with back-to-back strikeouts of Taylor and Severino to send the game into extra innings.

While Lugo was out there pitching great over three innings, the Nationals Sammy Solis was mowing down the Mets.  Over his two innings of work, he struck out five Mets.  With the way Solis was pitching, the turning point of this game was Brandon Kintzler coming into the game because the Mets have tattoed him in the first two games of this series.

It started again with a Juan Lagares bloop single to start the 12th inning.  He moved to second on a Amed Rosario sacrifice bunt.  The Nationals then walked Conforto to bring up Cespedes in a big spot.  Cespedes would deliver with the game winning RBI single to give the Mets a 6-5 lead.

With the 6-5 lead, Callaway turned to Jacob Rhame.  This was presumably because Jeurys Familia has been worked hard to start the year.  After retiring two straight, he allowed a Wilmer Difo double before getting Adam Eaton out to end the game.

It’s amazing.  The Mets went into Washington on a high after beating up on presumably lesser competition.  Now, they are 7-1 after sweeping the Nationals in their home ballpark.  Better yet, the Nationals had a chance in each game in this series, but the Mets just beat them because maybe, just maybe, the Mets are in fact the better team.

Game Notes: Opposing base stealers are a perfect 11/11 against d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki.

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