NEW YORK _ One big inning.
That was all the Mets needed to avoid getting swept by their National League East rival.
They trailed by two runs going into the eighth but scored nine runs in the frame, capped off by Yoenis Cespedes' grand slam into the left-field stands as the Mets blew out the Nationals, 11-5, in front of 23,117 at Citi Field.
Todd Frazier had a game-tying, two-run single off Washington reliever Ryan Madson before pinch-hitter Juan Lagares laced a two-run double to right.
Cespedes then delivered the crushing blow to the Nationals, destroying their hopes of earning a sweep with his shot off A.J. Cole.
It was a comeback victory for New York after Washington's three-run first inning against Steven Matz.
The Mets won another battle against the Nationals.
These two teams have played each other six times so far this season. Almost all of the games have been close, with the Mets winning four of them after sweeping Washington in their first series.
Mets manager Mickey Callaway said before the game that he expects the battle in the NL East to continue all season long.
"I would think so. They have a great team. We have a great team as well. So we're going to have some really good games," Callaway said. "That's what baseball's all about: two good teams in a good division battling it out. I think that's what we're going to see throughout the season."
But the Nationals imploded Wednesday.
The Mets had just two hits through the first seven innings.
Asdrubal Cabrera led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and scored on Adrian Gonzalez's RBI single. The Mets second run came on a Nationals error that same inning.
But that was all the Mets could muster until the eighth.
Michael Conforto, Cespedes and Cabrera hit consecutive singles off Madson to start the inning.
After Jay Bruce fouled out, Frazier hit a game-tying, two-run single up the middle.
After the Nationals intentionally walked Adrian Gonzalez, pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores struck out. That brought up Lagares, who drove the game-winning hit to right field.
Sammy Solis later walked Conforto with the bases loaded to force in a run, and Cespedes turned the game into a rout with his grand slam.
The night didn't begin well for Matz.
After striking out Trea Turner to start the game, Howie Kendrick reached on an infield single and Bryce Harper walked. Matz then surrendered a three-run home run to Ryan Zimmerman that put the Mets in an early 3-0 hole.
Moises Sierra then singled with one out before Matz struck out Michael A. Taylor. The Mets threw Sierra out trying to steal second.
But Matz recovered from that rocky start, retiring the next 10 batters he faced with five strikeouts.
But the lefty had a short outing. Callaway pinch-hit for Matz with Brandon Nimmo with runners on first and second and one out in the fourth.
Matz only threw 76 pitches.
He's been up and down through his first four starts of the season. Matz now has a 4.42 ERA.
Callaway said before the game that the key for Matz _ and any of his pitchers _ is to attack the strike zone.
"It's the same thing we say every time: Go out there, pitch with conviction and make them beat you," Callaway said. "I think throughout most of our games our pitchers have done a really good job of that. The other night, when we lost the lead, it was because we just didn't attack."
