Nimmo, Mets Explode for 19 Runs in Drubbing of Nats

After melting down in epic fashion on Sunday, the Mets (20-9) responded accordingly with a laugher by defeating the Nationals (13-16) 19-5 in Monday’s series finale. It was the exact kind of game that was needed from this team after they blew a six-run lead the previous day.

The Mets were powered by Brandon Nimmo, who delivered a monster game. He went 4-for-6 with two home runs and nine RBIs, which ties Carlos Delgado for the all-time club record in a single game. All of the RBIs came from the sixth inning onward and included a three-run homer, a grand slam, and a two-run double.

The offensive outburst was desperately needed from Nimmo, who entered Monday’s action seriously struggling. In one game, Nimmo raised his OPS from .575 to .679 and added nine RBIs to the 12 he had through 26 games.

Jeff McNeil also played a pivotal role in the victory, at least early on when the game was still close. McNeil, who has dealt with his own struggles the past few years, went 2-for-5 with a home run, a triple, and a sacrifice fly while playing center field and batting eighth in the order. McNeil drove in the Mets’ second and third runs of the game, hitting his sacrifice fly in the second inning after a 10-pitch at-bat before crushing his homer on the first pitch of the fifth inning. He drove in three runs in total.

The Mets’ 3-0 lead didn’t last long, as the lead was instantly doubled in the sixth inning. Nimmo broke the game open by doubling the Mets’ lead from 3-0 to 6-0 with a 410-foot, three-run home run—his first of the game. He unloaded on a high fastball against lefty Colin Poche, who bested Nimmo in Sunday’s game by getting him to ground into a double play.

In case Nimmo’s sixth-inning home run wasn’t big enough of a statement, the left fielder crushed a grand slam in the seventh inning, pushing the Mets’ lead from 7-0 to 11-0. Nimmo came up again in the eighth inning with the bases loaded yet again, and this time he ripped a double down the right field line, driving in two more runs to give him nine on the day.

McNeil and Luisangel Acuña drove in two more runs following Nimmo’s hit, putting the Mets up 15-0. In the top of the ninth, former Met Amed Rosario was sent out as the sacrificial position player to pitch to the Mets. He allowed four runs, giving up an RBI single to Jesse Winker before Mark Vientos unloaded a three-run homer to give the Mets 19 runs for the day.

The Mets’ shutout was broken by this point, with José Ureña seriously laboring in the eighth inning and allowing five runs. Ureña, who pitched a clean seventh inning to begin his outing, stayed on for the ninth inning and was able to complete the three-inning save to keep the Mets’ bullpen fresh.

Lost in all the offensive fireworks was another great outing from Griffin Canning, who tossed five scoreless innings. With his effort, Canning improved his record to 4-1 and his ERA from 3.12 to 2.61 as he continues to look like a brilliant David Stearns signing. Max Kranick also recorded a scoreless inning as his great season continues.

In the win, the Mets scored 19 runs on 21 hits, with eight Mets batters recording two or more hits. The win also makes the Mets the first MLB team to reach 20 wins this year, as their record now sits at 20-9.

They salvaged a series tie in emphatic fashion and will now head back to Citi Field for their next series.

Stat of the Game: Nimmo Makes Mets History

Brandon Nimmo had a historic game, tying Carlos Delgado for the most RBIs in a single game in Mets history with nine. He also became the first player to record nine RBIs in a three-inning span since Sammy Sosa did so in Colorado in 2002.

Player of the Game: Brandon Nimmo

No surprise here. Nimmo had the best offensive game of his career and willed the Mets to a lopsided victory. He raised his OPS by .104 points and increased his RBI total on the year by 75 percent.

On Deck

The Mets return home Tuesday to begin a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. David Peterson (1-1, 3.29 ERA) will go for the Mets while Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 4.40 ERA) will go for Arizona in a matchup of southpaws.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on SNY.

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