Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Box Score on Sep 22, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 22, 2017

NEW YORK -- Nori Aoki's tie-breaking RBI ground-rule double in the sixth inning Friday night capped a comeback from a five-run deficit by the New York Mets, who went on to edge the Washington Nationals, 7-6, at Citi Field.

The Mets (66-87) snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the third time in their last eight games. The National League East champion Nationals (92-61) lost for the sixth time in 10 contests as they fell five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NL, pending the result of the Dodgers' game later Friday.

Aoki's third hit of the game drove home Juan Lagares, who doubled with one out and took third on a wild pitch. Aoki also singled and stole a base in the third and delivered an RBI single for the first run in the Mets' five-run fifth inning.

Travis d'Arnaud hit two homers -- a solo shot in the second and a game-tying, three-run blast that capped the Mets' five-run fifth inning.

Asdrubal Cabrera went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and an RBI single in the fifth for New York.

Chasen Bradford (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless sixth.

Jeurys Familia earned his fourth save, and his first since May 5, by retiring Victor Robles with runners at the corners for the final out. Familia missed more than three months following surgery to repair a blood clot in his right shoulder.

Adam Lind hit a three-run homer in the second for the Nationals while Howie Kendrick (RBI double) and Robles (two-run triple) each had run-scoring hits in the fifth. Lind, Kendrick and Alejandro De Aza all scored two runs each.

Joe Blanton (2-4) took the loss after allowing the sixth-inning run.

Mets starter Robert Gsellman allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings. Nationals starter Edwin Jackson gave up six runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out four over 4 2/3 innings.

The Nationals loaded the bases with none out in the top of the second but didn't score. D'Arnaud then homered leading off the bottom of the inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Washington didn't squander their opportunities in the third, when De Aza tripled with one out and Kendrick was hit by a pitch before Lind launched a long three-run homer to right.

De Aza, Kendrick and Lind all factored in another three-run inning in the fifth as the Nationals extended their lead to 6-1. De Aza reached on a one-out error by shortstop Amed Rosario and scored on Kendrick's double. Lind was intentionally walked before he and Kendrick scored on Robles' triple.

The Mets stormed back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Juan Lagares led off with an infield single, stole second and scored on Aoki's single. Aoki went to second on a single by Jose Reyes and raced home on Cabrera's single. After Brandon Nimmo struck out, d'Arnaud chased Jackson with a three-run homer to even the score at 6-6.

NOTES: Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) will come off the 60-day disabled list Saturday and make his first major league start since he was injured Apr. 30. Syndergaard will throw just one inning before being relieved by RHP Matt Harvey, who was Saturday's originally scheduled starter. ... Mets SS Amed Rosario, who missed the previous three games with gastroenteritis, went 1-for-4. ... Nationals RF Bryce Harper (left knee bruise) took batting practice, ran the bases and shagged fly balls Friday afternoon. ... Nationals RHP Shawn Kelley exited with an undisclosed injury with one out in the eighth inning.