Field Level Media
May 20, 2019
Amed Rosario and Pete Alonso hit first-inning home runs Monday night, and New York Mets never trailed while snapping a five-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the visiting Washington Nationals in the opener of a four-game series.
The Mets, who collected a total of three hits while being shut out in back-to-back games by the league-worst Miami Marlins on Saturday and Sunday, won hours after general manager Brodie Van Wagenen held a press conference to give embattled manager Mickey Callaway a vote of confidence.
Todd Frazier and Carlos Gomez had back-to-back RBI hits in the third inning to give the Mets a 4-0 lead. The hit for Gomez was his first with the Mets since Sept. 26, 2007.
Gomez was dealt to the Minnesota Twins following the 2007 season in exchange for Johan Santana and spent time with five big league teams before signing a minor league deal with New York on March 7 and getting recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.
The Nationals cut the gap in half against fill-in starter Wilmer Font in the fourth, when Anthony Rendon hit a leadoff homer and Yan Gomes delivered a two-out RBI single. But Font ended the inning by retiring opposing pitcher Patrick Corbin to strand a pair of runners before giving way to Drew Gagnon (2-0), who delivered two hitless innings.
The Nationals closed within a run at 4-3 in the eighth, when Rendon doubled with one out and scored on Juan Soto's single. But Robert Gsellman got the final two outs, and Dominic Smith added a pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the inning for the Mets.
New York closer Edwin Diaz allowed a pair of baserunners while recording his 11th save with a scoreless ninth.
Frazier had two hits for the Mets. Rendon walked in his other two plate appearances, and Gomes collected three hits for the Nationals.
Font allowed two runs on three hits and four walks while striking out three in four innings.
Corbin (4-2) gave up four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out seven over five innings.
Van Wagenen opened his pregame press conference by announcing All-Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who hasn't played this season due to a pair of surgeries on his heels, sustained multiple ankle fractures at his ranch in Florida.
--Field Level Media