NEW YORK _ In the first inning, Nationals stud Max Scherzer threw 29 pitches.
Through two innings, he had thrown 60.
The Mets, however, could not land the tone-setting, game-changing blow on the right-hander. He still held them scoreless after those two innings _ and in check for the rest of his outing _ in what became another frustrating night for a Mets lineup that has experienced many to this point.
Once again, failing to collect the timely hits defined a Mets loss. New York (7-11) lost to the Nationals, 2-1, at Citi Field, dropping yet another winnable game.
In the first inning, the Mets loaded the bases on Scherzer with two outs before Wilson Ramos struck out swinging. An inning later, with runners on first and second, Jeff McNeil struck out swinging to end the frame.
The Mets applied pressure, but Scherzer held firm. They worked to grind him out of the game but he lasted six innings and only allowed a run. Scherzer, who threw 105 pitches, struck out seven batters.
One play that summed up the Mets night: With a man on first, Dominic Smith ripped a low line drive to the right side, only to have first baseman Eric Thames react quickly, snag it and touch first to end the inning.
Immediately after, Smith had a certain look on his face, one that said: "Are you kidding me?"
