May 25, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) pitches against Washington Nationals starting pitcher Tanner Roark (57) in the fifth inning at Nationals Park. The Mets won 2-0. Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
By David Driver, The Sports Xchange
WASHINGTON — Lefty starter Steven Matz pitched eight scoreless innings and retired 16 batters at one point in the longest outing of his career as the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 Wednesday afternoon.
Matz (7-1) allowed four hits with seven strikeouts and set down 16 in a row before pinch hitter Clint Robinson had a two-out single in the eighth. Matz then retired pinch hitter Bryce Harper on a grounder to end the eighth.
Jeurys Familia pitched the ninth for his 16th straight save this year and 32nd in a row dating back to last year. Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy (two hits) began the ninth with singles before Familia fanned Ryan Zimmerman for the first out and got Anthony Rendon on a fielder’s choice and then retired Wilson Ramos for the final out.
The hard-luck loser was Tanner Roark (3-4), who gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits in seven innings before Oliver Perez took over in the eighth.
The Mets (27-19) took two of three games in the series and have won five of their last six games in Washington. The Nationals (28-19) saw their lead shrink to a half-game over the Mets in the National League East.
Backup catcher Rene Rivera of the Mets had an RBI single in the seventh off Roark to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. The hit came after Washington second baseman Daniel Murphy made an error on a groundball off the bat of Eric Campbell that could have been an inning-ending double play.
Rivera, the No. 8 hitter, also came through with Matz on deck and no one warming in the Mets’ bullpen. Matz then grounded out to end the top of the seventh.
David Wright hit a solo homer in the first to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. It was the ninth homer in 62 career games at Nationals Park, and 87 of his career 241 homers have put the Mets ahead. It was his second homer of the series.
Matz entered the game with an ERA of 2.81 as he made his first career start against Washington. The left-hander was 5-0 with an ERA of 2.18 in the first seven starts of his career on the road. Two of the first three hits for the Nationals didn’t leave the infield.
The Nationals got two runners on base in the second with one out by Danny Espinosa lined to left and Roark flew out to center to end the threat. Mets second baseman Neil Walker had two hits.
NOTES: Mets SS Asdrubal Cabrera came out of the game in the last of the first with back spasms after he was in the starting lineup. He did not bat in the top of the first. INF Matt Reynolds came on to play short in the last of the first and got his first big-league hit in the fifth — a single to right. … Washington hitting coach Rick Schu was ejected in the fifth inning after OF Chris Heisey was called out on strikes. … Mets LHP Steven Matz, the Wednesday starter, entered the game with a mark of 10-1 in 13 regular-season games in the majors. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he is one of two lefties to win 10 of their first 13 starts in the majors. … Washington RHP Joe Ross (3-4, 2.70 ERA) will face St. Louis RHP Mike Leake (3-3, 4.07 ERA) in the series opener Thursday in Washington. … The Mets are off Thursday and then host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, with RHP Jacob deGrom (3-1, 3.07 ERA) going against Dodgers LHP Alex Wood (1-3, 4.03 ERA). It was deGrom who beat the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLDS last October. … The Nationals’ 28-18 start matches the best start in team history, through 2005 when the team moved to Washington. … Washington 3B Anthony Rendon entered Wednesday with a mark of .367 in his last 12 games, with five doubles, one triple and one homer in 49 at-bats.
