Mets’ Winning Streak Ends with Walk-Off Loss to Nationals

CJ Abrams scored from first on a single by James Wood in the ninth inning as the Washington Nationals walked off the Mets with a 5-4 victory Friday at Nationals Park. Thus, the Mets’ winning streak ended at seven games.

Abrams was running on a 3-2 pitch with two outs, and Wood’s single up the middle deflected off of Jeff McNeil’s foot and into shallow center. Tyrone Taylor charged and threw home, but Abrams’ head-first slide beat the tag.

The Nats (12-14) scored twice in the bottom of the ninth. Juan Soto nearly made a spectacular, leaping catch near the wall to start the inning, but the ball bounced off the top of his glove and Dylan Crews had a triple. José Tena singled him home to tie the game at 4.

The Nats’ rally spoiled what would have been a remarkable comeback win for the Mets, who scored four runs in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead. Mark Vientos hit a go-ahead, three-run triple to highlight the rally.

Kodai Senga gave up two runs on six hits in six innings and struck out five.

A rare miscue in the outfield by Brandon Nimmo in the second inning helped the Nationals score their first run. Crews hit what looked like a single to left, but Nimmo threw the ball back in to Vientos at third instead of throwing it in to second base. Crews, who had taken a wide turn at first, alertly scrambled to second for a double. Tena followed with a two-out RBI bloop single to left.

Tena’s single ended a scoreless streak for Senga at 19 2/3 innings. Abrams added an RBI triple an inning later. Senga entered the game with a 0.79 ERA and left with it at 1.26.

The Mets (18-8) caught a bad break in the fourth inning.

With runners at first and second and nobody out, Jesse Winker hit a line drive to first that replays showed Nathaniel Lowe fielded on a short hop. The umpire, however, ruled it a clean catch and Lowe was able to start a triple play. Carlos Mendoza pleaded his case to no avail. A trap/catch play on the infield is not reviewable.

McNeil and Francisco Alvarez both returned to the lineup from injuries. McNeil, equipped with a torpedo bat, was 1-for-4 and made a nice play in the hole at second, sliding to field a grounder and throwing out a runner at first. Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and threw out a runner trying to steal.

Stat of the Game

It was the first triple play turned on the Mets since Ruben Tejada hit into one against the San Diego Padres in 2010, per SNY.

Player of the Game

Vientos was 2-for-4 with the clutch triple and three RBIs.

On Deck

Clay Holmes (2-1, 3.16 ERA) faces rookie right-hander Brad Lord (0-2, 4.73 ERA) at 4:05 p.m. ET in the second game of the four-game series. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

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