The Sports Xchange
Jun 17, 2017
NEW YORK -- Trea Turner homered on the second pitch of the game for the Washington Nationals, who blasted two more round-trippers Saturday on their way to a 7-4 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field.
The Nationals (42-26) have yet to trail in winning the first three games of the four-game series against the Mets (30-37), who now trail first-place Washington by 11 1/2 games in the National League East.
Jose Lobaton homered in the second inning and scored on an error in the fourth for the Nationals. Daniel Murphy finished 2-for-4 with an RBI double and scored on Adam Lind's pivotal two-run homer into the upper deck in the eighth.
Turner singled in the ninth and scored on a double by Anthony Rendon (2-for-4).
Stephen Strasburg (8-2) picked up the win after allowing two runs, six hits and two walks while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings.
The Mets sent the tying or go-ahead run to the plate in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings against the beleaguered Nationals bullpen, which entered with a 5.17 ERA.
New York scored twice in the eighth via a leadoff homer by Yoenis Cespedes and a two-out RBI single by Jose Reyes, but Enny Romero struck out Rene Rivera with two on to escape the jam.
Romero allowed a one-out single to Michael Conforto in the ninth but induced Cespedes to hit into a 5-4-3 double play to post his second save of the season.
Cespedes went 4-for-5 with three runs scored for the Mets and Jay Bruce had three singles. Reyes added two hits.
Wilmer Flores hit into a run-scoring double play in the fourth and lofted a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Right-hander Seth Lugo (1-1) took the loss after giving up four runs (three earned), seven hits and two walks while striking out five in 6 2/3 innings.
NOTES: Mets LF Yoenis Cespedes had at least four hits in a game for the fifth time in his six-year career. ... The Mets have given up three leadoff homers in their last five games. ... Nationals RHP Shawn Kelley (neck) was unavailable. Manager Dusty Baker said Kelley was battling neck spasms Friday night when he showed decreased velocity while pitching in the ninth inning. ... Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy, who played for the Mets from 2008-15, has reached base in all 27 games he has played against his former club since signing with Washington in January 2016.