• RISP FAIL: A leadoff walk by Michael Morse, a line drive double by Wilson Ramos and the Washington Nationals are set up with runners on second and third and no outs in the first and Mets' lefty reliever Raul Valdes on the hill in NY's Citi Field in his first start of the season. Alberto Gonzalez sends a soft fly to short right and neither Morse nor Nationals' third base coach Pat Listach thinks it's a good idea to test Jesus Feliciano's arm. Justin Maxwell draws a walk to load the bases with one down, but Adam Kennedy flies to short center and D.C. right-hander Yunesky Maya K's swinging to leave the bases loaded.
• The New BMOTOB: Danny Espinosa walks to start the Nats' third in a patient leadoff at bat in which he refuses to swing at Valdes' junk. Roger Bernadina lines out to second, but Mets' infielder Joaquin Arias' throw goes by first turning Bernie's lineout into the sac Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman wanted when Bernie failed to get a bunt down earlier in the at bat. Ian Desmond flies out to center and today's cleanup hitter Michael Morse K's swinging. Espinosa's stranded. Yunesky Maya walks the 8-hole hitter, Ruben Tejada to start the Mets' half of the third, the pitcher, Valdes, gets a bunt down, Angel Pagan lines to left but the Mets don't test Bernadina's arm. First and third and Feliciano flies to center. Maxwell's playing deep out there for the Nats, but he makes his second sliding catch of the game, but he has no shot to throw the runner out, 1-0 Mets when their leadoff runner scores.
• Duda Reaches Bridge: According to MLB.com, Yunesky Maya vs Raul Valdes is the first matchup of Cuban-born pitchers since May 22, 2003, when then-Expos' right-hander Livan Hernandez (who starts tomorrow in NY) started a game for Montreal against Florida Marlins' righty Michael Tejera. Both pitchers throw 3.0 scoreless today, and Valdes gets a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, but Maya, after he gets a swinging K with a curve to Ike Davis, hangs a slider to Lucas Duda whose HR clears the far left corner of the so-called Pepsi Porch in right and falls onto the walkway below near the Shea Bridge where Adam Dunn once hit one. 2-0 NY.
• Cy Valdes: After holding the Nats to one hit, Ramos' two-bagger in the second, Raul Valdes leaves a change up and inside to Michael Morse that the 28-year-old slugger bounces off the facade of the second deck in right, off the Alliance Building Services sign. 2-1 game on Morse's 15th HR, which is followed by Wilson Ramos' 7th double, the Nats' third hit. A groundout by Alberto Gonzalez moves Ramos up, but he's thrown out at home on a grounder to second by Justin Maxwell. Two down. Adam Kennedy's hit by a pitch and Kevin Mench flies to center to end the Nats' sixth.
• BERNIE!!: Roger Bernadina starts the Nationals' seventh with a single to right and after Willie Harris takes a two-out walk from Mets' reliever Pedro Feliciano, Wilson Ramos works an 11-pitch AB against Elmer Dessens, and rips a sharp grounder off the third base bag and into left for an RBI single that scores Bernadina and momentarily ties it at 2-2. Adam Dunn comes on to pinch hit, but he's pitched around with Justin Maxwell up after him, and Maxwell's bases-loaded K ends the top of the frame.
• This HR Brought To You By Alliance Building Services: Tyler Clippard, who surrendered the game-winning walk-off blast to Mets' catcher Josh Thole on Friday, strikes out the first two batters he faces Saturday before surrendering a two-out single to Angel Pagan and a two-out walk to Jesus Feliciano to bring David Wright up. Wright's 3-run blast off the second-deck facade makes it 5-2 Mets and Collin Balester gives up a two-run blast to Chris Carter in the eighth, so the Nats drop the second-straight in NY. 7-2.
Nationals now 68-93.