Nelson Figueroa pitches from the stretch even when there's no one on. Felipe Lopez strikes out looking at a slider on the outside edge. Cristian Guzman grounds back to the mound. Figueroa blows Ryan Zimmerman away with a fastball for his first scoreless frame. After Jose Reyes chases and pops up a low breaking ball, Ryan Church (In the 2 spot?) (Batting .321?) (Grounding out?)...yes, weakly to second. David Wright walks, steals second and scores on Carlos Beltran's single to left. 1-0 New York. 

Nick Johnson reaches on some Gold Glove fielding at first by Carlos Delgado. Lastings Milledge shows the Mets how patient he's become at the plate, working a walk. Austin Kearns grounds weakly enough to second to allow both runners' advance. Rob Mackowiak backs Carlos Beltran up to the warning track, Johnson tags and scores. 1-1 ballgame. Jesus Flores, or as he's known here in NY, Jesus "Used to be a Met" Flores goes down looking...Damion Easley takes a 1-0 pitch from Odalis Perez all the way to center, and out into the construction site...2-1 NY. Jose Reyes drops the kind of bunt that got Ray King released, and Odalis Perez can't make the play. Ryan Church rips a single to right. Wright drills Zimmerman with a short-hopper that bounces right into Guzman's glove, over to first, end of the second. 

Odalis Perez drops a curve into short right for a single, and then has to skip over Felipe Lopez's low grounder on his way to second. Figueroa beats Guzman to the bag on a high chopper to the right side. Perez and Lopez advance. Ryan Zimmerman takes a pitch in the shoulder to load the bases. The Discerning Eye of Nick Johnson earns a walked-in run. 2-2 ballgame. Lastings Milledge fouls strike three into Brian Schneider's glove. Austin Kearns pops out to end the Nationals' third. The wind plays tricks on Austin Kearns when Carlos Beltran flies out to right, and Lopez, Johnson and Kearns all lose Moises Alou's pop to short right, allowing Alou to take second. Carlos Delgado gets fooled by Odalis Perez for a swinging K. Damion Easley flies to short right, MOISES ALOU? Scores from second? On Kearns' arm? 3-2 Mets. 

Nelson Figueroa walks leadoff hitter Rob Mackowiak to start the fourth. Figueroa hits Jesus Flores to put two on in front of Odalis Perez. Perez successfully sacrifices. Felipe Lopez grounds back to Figueroa, and Figueroa throws it right by the catcher. Mackowiak scores easily. 3-3 after three and a half. Jose Reyes dumps a one-out single into short left. Ryan Church up, Reyes runs...Jesus Flores nails Reyes at second. Church down swinging. 3-3 after four. 

Nick Johnson finds a way through the infield with a leadoff single in the fifth. Lastings Milledge pops up to the infield. Kearns reaches the warning track in right. Rob Mackowiak walks. What will Jesus Flores do? Two-run double to the corner in right. 5-3 DC. Odalis Perez lines one out to Church in right. Flores trots home. 6-3 DC. Odalis Perez ISSUES A LEADOFF WALK TO DAVID WRIGHT. Carlos Beltran flies out unproductively. Moises Alou turns on an inside fastball for a single to left. Felipe Lopez only gets one out on an infield grounder from Delgado. Easley flies out to right. 6-3 after five. 

Jorge Sosa starts the sixth for New York. Ryan Zimmerman doubles down the dirt line in left and into the corner. The Discerning Eye of Nick Johnson draws another walk. Lasto? Lastings Milledge pushes Old Man Alou back to the wall in left, where he makes a nice effort, but has it go off the wall for a two-run double. 8-3 DC. Jesus Flores gets the intentionals with two out, and Odalis Perez makes the Mets pay with his third hit of the game, 9-3 Nationals. Felipe Lopez pops up to left, Reyes, Alou and Beltran converge and watch it drop. Flores scores. 10-3 DC.  Odalis Perez retires the Mets in order to end the sixth. 

Duaner Sanchez pitches a scoreless inning for the first time since Figueroa's first for NY. David Wright hits a blast on a low fastball that gets deposited in left. 10-4 Nationals. Perez is out after Zimmerman mishandles Carlos Beltran's grounder. (Odalis Perez - 6.1 IP, 11 hits, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's, 2 HR's, 3 for 3, 2 RBI's!) Chris Schroder takes over and stops the comeback attempt...

"Generic" Joe Smith strikes out all three batters he faces in the top of the eighth. Chris Schroder's back on the mound for the Nationals, and he retires Damion Easley on one pitch, which gets a fly ball out. Brian Schneider reaches on an infield grounder that bounces of Schroder to Felipe Lopez who barehands, but throws it away. Schroder issues a two-out walk to Reyes after Marlon Anderson fouls out, and Schroder's done, with Saul "Sa-oool" Rivera on in relief. Two on, two out for Church. Rivera throws three balls, and eventually walks Church to load the bases for David Wright. Wright grounds out to third to end the threat. 

Ryan Wagner vs Elijah Dukes to start the ninth. Wagner gets Dukes looking and Felipe Lopez swinging, but gives up a double to Cristian Guzman, before getting Zimmerman on a called strike. 10-4 after eight and a half. Saul Rivera gets another inning of work. Carlos Beltran does his thing, staring strike three into Jesus Flores' glove. Moises Alou grounds out. Carlos Delgado grounds into the dramatic shift to end the game. 10-4 Nationals win. 

Nationals now 16-23.