WASHINGTON _ Statement delivered.
The Mets finished off an impressive three-game sweep of the Nationals with Yoenis Cespedes delivering the game-winning RBI single a 6-5 win in 12 innings Sunday night at Marlins Park. The Mets (7-1) have now win five straight after surviving a shaky start from Matt Harvey and the bullpen blowing its first lead of the season.
The Nationals entered this season as the clear division favorite with the Mets hoping they could give Washington a run for its money. This three-game sweep sent an early statement to the Nationals that they might not coast to a division title this year.
As the bullpens traded zeroes in extra innings, Cespedes gave the Mets the lead by lofting an RBI single into center off Brandon Kintzler. It marked the second straight game in which the Mets beat Kintzler, who allowed runs in all three games of this series.
The Mets displayed resiliency after their bullpen blew a lead for the first time.
The Mets' bullpen has been a strength early in the 2018 season with manager Mickey Callaway pushing all the right buttons in the first seven games. The Mets entered Sunday's nightcap with the second-best bullpen ERA in the majors.
Sunday, the Nationals finally cracked the unit.
Robert Gsellman, who had yet to allow a run in four innings, allowed a two-out RBI single to Michael A. Taylor in the seventh inning that tied the game at 5-all.
After Gsellman allowed the run, though, Seth Lugo tossed three scoreless innings and Jacob Rhame secured the save. Lugo escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam by striking out Taylor and Pedro Severino in the 10th inning to keep the game tied.
The Mets claimed an early lead by tagging Tanner Roark for five runs in five innings.
Adrian Gonzalez provided his biggest hit of the season when he hit a grand slam off Roark for a 4-2 lead in the third. With two outs and none on, Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier and Asdrubal Cabrera each walked on 3-2 pitches to set the stage for Gonzalez.
Roark started Gonzalez with an 89-mph fastball, and Gonzalez didn't miss. He turned on the high-and-in heater, and deposited it into the Nationals' bullpen for a 4-2 lead. Gonzalez tallied just three homers last year in his injury-plagued year with the Dodgers.
The Mets erased deficits in every game of this series.
Cabrera provided a valuable insurance run in the fifth by hitting his first homer to give the Mets a 5-3 lead. Roark threw a 2-1 sinker in the middle of the plate, and Cabrera crushed it, hitting it into the Nationals' bullpen in right like Gonzalez in the third inning.
Harvey struggled in his second start of the season and allowed Washington to chip into the lead. He surrendered four runs in five innings.
The righty sizzled in debut when he blanked the Phillies over five innings, but the Nationals are a tougher foe. They worked the count, and produced quality at-bats. Harvey yielded nine hits and walked one while striking out two in an 85-pitch effort.
The righty put the Mets in an immediate hole.
Harvey once owned Bryce Harper when he was among the best pitchers in this game several years ago, but he no longer has Harvey's number. Harvey surrendered a two-run bomb to right to Harper that gave Washington a 2-0 advantage.
After being handed a 4-2 lead in the third, Harvey allowed one runs back in the fourth when catcher Pedro Severino laced a two-out RBI double. The windy conditions saved Harvey from a worse inning when the winds turned what would've been a grand slam in the summer into a fly out to right from Anthony Rendon with the bases loaded.
Harvey gave back another run in the fifth inning by surrendering an RBI single to left to Trea Turner which sliced the Mets' lead to 5-4.
The Mets have now received five innings from Harvey in his two outings, and he has posted a 3.60 ERA. The Mets will take this kind of production.
