Mets started slow tonight while the Nats got a run on a sac fly by Bryce Harper in the Second to take a 1-0 lead.
In the Fourth Wilmer Difo and Pedro Severino had RBI singles and led the Mets 3-0 after four innings.
Mets pieced together a couple of runs in the 5th. Cabrera & Cespedes knocked in runs on productive outs and the Mets were within a run.
Zack Wheeler lasted 6 innings and pitched a quality start. He gave up three runs on 7 hits and struck out two. Not as good as his first outing, but good enough to keep the Mets in the game through the 6th inning.
Nationals Starter Gio Gonzalez went 5 and 1/3rd giving up just the two runs, while striking out five.
Mets had runners at the corner in the bottom of the 6th, but Jose Reyes, pinch hitting for Wheeler, couldn’t get his first hit of the season, and Amed Rosario popped out with the tying run just 90 feet away.
Robert Gsellman came on in the 7th and gave up a leadoff double to Trea Turner, but then got Kendrick to strike out, & Bryce Harper to fly out. But Ryan Zimmerman, batting just over .100 got an RBI Single to extend the Nats lead to 4-2.
Again the Mets had the tying runs on base with less than two outs but couldn’t get them home and the game remained a two run game.
Nats tacked on a run in the top of the 8th on another small ball play, Severino with an RBI Groundout.
Mets were 0-9 with men in scoring position and left 11 men on base. Opportunities missed all over the scoresheet tonight, including when they got the tying run to the plate in the 8th, but Asdrubal Cabrera struck out to end the threat.
Gerson Bautista made his ML Debut in relief for the Mets in the 9th inning.
Mets went quietly in the 9th, and will now look to salvage the final game of the series against the Nationals Wednesday Night at CitiField. First pitch 7:10, Mets on Deck at 6:05