Washington Nationals Take Two Of Three From New York Mets With 7-3 Win.

Inside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field, in the New York Mets Hall of Fame, there's a fungo bat Davey Johnson used while guiding the '86 Mets to a World Series win, the blue and orange warm-up jacket Daryl Strawberry wore that season and both World Series trophies from the '86 and '69 World Series Champions. There are Mets Hall of Fame plaques lining the walls, with Gil Hodges, Bill Shea, Rusty Staub, Tom Seaver and others enshrined. There's a life-size Mr. Met. There are copies of the front pages of all the New York newspapers from '86 with the Daily News' "YES!" cover shot of Jesse Orosco on his knees on the infield grass thrusting both fists toward the sky prominently featured. Inside Citi Field today, the Mets and Nationals faced off in the rubber match of the weekend series which saw Washington win Friday night on the strength of Jordan Zimmermann's work on the mound and at the plate, before Saturday night's Carlos Beltran show carried New York to victory. 

On an overcast Sunday in Queens, Mets' leadoff man Jose Reyes got a perfect bunt down and beat Pudge Rodriguez's throw to first to start today's game, and a passed ball on a swinging strike three by Willie Harris allowed Reyes to move himself into scoring position for David Wright..."Let's Go David! Let's Go! [clap, clap, clap!] Let's Go David! Let's Go! [clap, clap clap!]"...Marquis gets behind Wright and the Mets' third baseman lines a 3-1 sinker to center to score Reyes from third with an RBI single that makes it 1-0 NY. Marquis fields a swinging bunt from Ike Davis in the next at bat and makes an off-balance throw to first that Adam LaRoche scoops though it arrives too late in the ump's opinion. Marquis gets behind Angel Pagan, and another 3-1 sinker is lined to center with Wright sliding in safe in front of Rick Ankiel's strong throw to make it 2-0 before the Nats' starter can escape further trouble.

Marquis needs 23 pitches to get through the first. Adam LaRoche takes a leadoff walk from Mets' starter Chris Young in the Nats' second and a line drive to left by Michael Morse, a double steal by the unlikely tandem and an RBI groundout by Pudge Rodriguez result in the Nationals' cutting the Mets' lead in half, 2-1 after one and a half. Marquis gives up a two-out single in the second, but retires nine straight before a two-out single by Willie Harris in the fifth and a two-out walk to David Wright set Ike Davis up for an RBI opportunity he cashes in with a broken-bat blooper to center that falls in for a two-run single and a 3-1 Mets' lead.

The Nats have just one hit off 6'10'' right-hander Chris Young through four innings and only two runners on base. Danny Espinosa draws a leadoff walk in the fifth and three outs later he's stranded at third. Ian Desmond, Rick Ankiel and Jayson Werth go down in order in the sixth with Werth popping out to Mets' catcher Josh Thole to end a 1-2-3 frame for Young. "Good job, Werth!! You s**k!!'", a Mets fan yells. The Mets' right-hander puts the Nats down in order in the seventh and the Mets' starter is done after 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's and 108 pitches, 72 strikes. Marquis strikes out 9 in 6.0 IP, allowing 7 hits, 3 ER and 2 walks. 

Nats' reliever Chad Gaudin gets a fly ball to left from Jose Reyes and two backwards K's from Willie Harris and David Wright. "Let's Go David! Let's Go! [clap, clap, clap!] Let's Go David! Let's Go! [clap, clap clap!]" After the Wise Dance Cam scans the crowd providing entertainment between innings, Pudge Rodriguez lines a 1-1 fastball from D.J. Carrasco into right center between the Xerox sign and the Mo's Zone Lucas Duda's patrolling for the Nats first hit since the second. Laynce Nix pops unproductively to right where Duda makes the catch below the Subway sign. Matt Stairs walks, Jerry Hairston comes on to run. Ian Desmond singles to center to score Rodriguez and Rick Ankiel hits an RBI groundout to bring Hairston in and it's 3-3. Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche take two-out walks from Taylor Buchholz but Michael Morse K's chasing three straight pitches to strand both runners and leave it tied. 

"Let's Go Thole! Let's Go! [clap, clap, clap!] Let's Go Thole! Let's Go! [clap, clap, clap!" 

Danny Espinosa gets another leadoff walk in the ninth and Pudge Rodriguez gets a bunt down, but Laynce Nix K's with his bat on his shoulder and Jerry Hairston flies out to the Mo's Zone to strand the Nats' second baseman. Carlos Beltran gets a pinch hit appearance with two down in the ninth, and he's looking to launch one into the Pepsi Porch, but he ends up grounding out to second and they're going to have to add an inning to the Sharp scoreboard. (ed. note - "Jokes that never get old: Yelling 'I got it!' every time a foul goes into the crowd.") 

Jose Reyes gets too nice an 0-2 pitch from Drew Storen in the tenth and he singles to center, but three outs later he's stranded at third when the Nats' '09 1st Round pick pops Angel Pagan up to end the frame. Adam LaRoche singles through the shift into the outfield grass between the Xerox and Geico signs to start the eleventh as the Nats get a second crack at right-hander Blaine Boyer. The Nats bench is almost empty, so Jordan Zimmermann gets a pinch hit appearance and he lays down a sac bunt to move LaRoche up, but LaRoche injures his groin sliding into second and is replaced by Wilson Ramos. Danny Espinosa's hit by a pitch, first and second, and Ramos scores on an RBI single by Pudge Rodriguez that gives the Nats a 4-3 lead. Laynce Nix comes up next and hits a three-run HR to right-center that goes over the Xerox sign into the bullpen below the Owl's eye logo of the Wise Potato Chip company that's in front of the Shea Bridge. 7-3 Nats. 

• Doghouse's Post Game WPA Graph: "Game 9: Let the battle for 4th place begin!"

via www.fangraphs.com

• Veteran Leadership: Ivan Rodriguez (+33.5%) defies our taunting about GDPs and goes 2-4 with the go-ahead RBI single in the 11th (+32.0%).
• Shutdown artists: Tyler Clippard (+22.0%) has 2 scoreless innings of relief with 3 Ks, while Drew Storen (+12.2%) throws one scoreless with a K.
• Delightfully league-average: Jason Marquis (-11.2%) gives up 3 ER in 6 IP with a dazzling 9 Ks and only 2 BBs.
• Heating up? Adam LaRoche (+15.9%) is 1-3 with 2 BBs, while Ian Desmond (+14.6%) is 2-6 with an RBI single (+21.1%) in the game-tying rally in the 8th.
• Struggling: Mike Michael Morse (-10.4%) is 1-4 with 2 Ks, including a strikeout swinging at 3 straight pitches out of the zone with the bases loaded and a tie game in the 8th (-13.7%).

• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

Nationals now 4-5.