WASHINGTON _ For awhile, the Mets gave off the illusion that maybe all was not lost. By beating up on the dregs on the National League, they had at least opened the possibility of regaining a grip on their lost season.
This was a mirage.
While hot streaks come, the Mets have made it clear that their many flaws won't be going away any time soon. Led by Daniel Murphy, the Nationals drove home this point on Tuesday, stomping the Mets 11-4 by exposing all the ills that have torpedoed a season of promise.
The Mets don't pitch well, they don't catch the ball, and they don't stay healthy. The consequences are reflected in the standings, where the Mets (38-45) have fallen 9 { games back of a wild card spot. They find themselves in the same hole that they faced before winning seven of nine games in a stretch against the also-ran Giants, Marlins and Phillies.
The Mets have dropped three straight and need a victory on Wednesday to avoid a sweep against the Nationals, who began the series with three wins in their last eight games. As the trade deadline approaches, it has become clear that the Mets will indeed be sellers.
Murphy resumed tormenting his former team, going 4-for-5 with five RBIs. Some of that damage came against Mets right-hander Seth Lugo, who allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings. It was his worst outing since coming off the disabled list, though he was hardly the only one to blame.
Porous defense has plagued the Mets all season long. They have converted into outs just 68.5 percent of balls in play, the second lowest number in all of baseball. Lugo was the latest to pay the price.
With the score tied 2-2, the Nationals seized command with four runs in the fifth inning, which they began with four straight hits. The uprising was hastened by poor defense.
Jay Bruce whiffed on picking up Bryce Harper's single to right. The error allowed Wilmer Difo to score from first. Wilmer Flores followed by allowing a Murphy grounder to third to hit his glove and trickle away, an infield hit that allowed Harper to score. Two batters later, Ryan Raburn drilled a two-run double that split the gap in right-center.
The Mets' depleted starting lineup had no answers for Nationals righty Joe Ross, who allowed just two runs in seven innings. Jose Reyes and Rene Rivera hit solo shots, the only production against Ross for an offense missing Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes.
Granderson, a late scratch, has been bothered by discomfort in his right hip. He hasn't started a game since Saturday. Meanwhile, Cespedes was rested as a precaution after he dealt with a cramp in his right leg. The slugger has dealt with leg issues all throughout his Mets tenure.
T.J. Rivera played leftfield, though he, too, was later pulled from the game with an apparent injury.
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