MLB: Washington Nationals at New York Mets

Game recap September 2: If the Mets lose but don’t lose any ground, does it still count? (Yes.)

Matt Harvey had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and is done for the season. Zack Wheeler has had multiple setbacks and is done for the season. Steven Matz has a barking shoulder and a bone spur in his elbow and is possibly done for the season. Jacob deGrom has elbow inflammation and will miss another start. Noah Syndergaard, compromised with a bone spur but still pitching at an elite level, is the only man left standing from the Mets’ collection of young aces, and he opposed the division rival Nationals in the first of a three-game set on Friday night. The division is long since over, but every game is still vital to the Mets as they fight for a wild card spot.

Thor might be an elite pitcher, but he has a major Achilles’ heel – he can’t hold baserunners, at all. That problem reared its ugly head in the first inning, as Trea Turner stole two bases after a bloop leadoff single to put a runner at third with no outs. Jayson Werth lined out to short and Daniel Murphy walked before Bryce Harper drove in Turner with a sacrifice fly to give the Nationals a quick 1-0 lead.

Syndergaard calmed down after that, inducing a ground out from Anthony Rendon as the start of an eight-batter string of Nationals set down.That streak would have been useful if the Mets had been able to muster any offense against starter A.J. Cole, the owner of a 4.97 ERA and a 5.75 FIP. Asdrubal Cabrera’s one-out single in the first inning was the only baserunner the Mets managed over the first three innings.

In the fourth, Harper and the stolen base problem again got the better of Syndergaard. Harper recorded a one out double, then stole third after a Rendon fly out. Wilson Ramos then drove in Harper with a single, stretching the Nationals lead to 2-0. Ramos’s single would be the last hit Syndergaard allowed, but the Mets seemed determined to waste yet another strong pitching performance.

Thankfully, another wounded Met stepped up to the plate in Asdrubal Cabrera, who launched a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 2-1. Jay Bruce and Wilmer Flores also reached on a single and a walk respectively, but the Mets’ offensive malaise persisted as Curtis Granderson popped out and Kelly Johnson struck out to strand two runners. The deficit was cut, but the Mes were still losing.

The fifth and sixth innings were quiet, as Cabrera was the only baserunner for either side. Syndergaard finished his night after the top of the seventh, retiring the final ten batters he faced, striking out four, walking one, and allowing three hits. In the bottom of the seventh, Rene Rivera worked a walk and pinch hitter Travis d’Arnaud was hit by a pitch with two outs against Washington reliever Mark Rzepcynski. Dusty Baker brought in Koda Glover (who?) to strike out Jose Reyes, however, and the Mets left another two men on base.

Fernando Salas entered to make his second Met appearance in the top of the eighth, striking out two in a scoreless inning of work. Unfortunately, everything came apart for the bullpen in the ninth. Jerry Blevins allowed Murphy to single and Harper to double to start the inning. Hansel Robles then entered and surrendered a single to Rendon, putting the Nats up 4-1. Ramos followed that with another single, but Robles escaped the inning by retiring the next three Nationals.

The Mets had three outs to overcome their three-run deficit against Nationals’ closer Mark Melancon. Alejandro De Aza led off with a single, but Granderson ground into a force out, Johnson flew out and Michael Conforto grounded out as the Mets went quietly into the night. In case you were wondering about the division lead, the Nationals are now up by 10.5 games.

Mercifully (or perhaps horribly, if you’d rather the illusion of contention be ripped out quickly rather than in an agonizingly slow crawl), every other wild card contender – the Giants, Cardinals, Pirates and Marlins – also lost. With the quintet of losses, the Mets remain three games back of the first wild card spot and 1.5 back of the second spot. Robert Gsellman opposes Tanner Roark on Saturday night in the second game of the series.

Photo credit: Noah K. Murray – USA Today Sports

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