Washington Nationals Drop 8-4 Decision To The New York Mets In Citi Field.

• Today's Top 5: 

5. LaRoche's La..brum: A left-handed starter, Chris Capuano, going for the Mets tonight provided an opportunity for the Washington Nationals to rest Adam LaRoche, who told reporters before tonight's game that though the slightly torn or "frayed" labrum in his left shoulder isn't yet causing him any pain when he swings, a throw to second base during the recent series with the Florida Marlins aggravated the injury that originally cropped up during Spring Training.

The 31-year-old first baseman, who signed a 2-year/$16 million dollar deal with the Nats this winter, doesn't think the tear of the labrum will require surgery, but as LaRoche explained today in an article by Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore entitled, "Adam LaRoche out after he took ‘a few steps backward’ with shoulder injury", that could, "...change if I start feeling it in my swing. That would be something that I can’t play through.'"

Michael Morse steps in at first tonight, his thirteenth career start at the position, and the 29-year-old has no issues at first though he continues to struggle at the plate, going 1 for 3 with a HBP and one epic at bat before his only hit...

4. Gorzelanny Finally: Former Pirates and Cubs' pitcher Tom Gorzelanny starts his first outing as a Nats' lefty by issuing a leadoff walk when he misses with a full-count fastball inside to Jose Reyes. One out later Reyes steals second ahead of a throw by Wilson Ramos. Gorzelanny gets David Wright swinging and he thinks he's out of the inning when he hits the low inside corner with a 2-2 fastball to Carlos Beltran, but it's called ball three and Beltran launches the full-count change that follows into the left field stands for a two-run blast and a 2-0 Mets' lead in the first. 

3. 1st 1st: Michael Morse K's swinging through a fastball outside from Capuano, but Wilson Ramos and Rick Ankiel hit back-to-back singles, with Ramos pulling a grounder through short and Ankiel lining into the right-center gap allowing Ramos to go first-to-third. Danny Espinosa's up with two on and one out and the Nats' second baseman gives Washington the lead, launching an 85 mph hip high heater inside to left-center and over the high wall, 380-390 feet from home. 3-2 Nationals on Espinosa's 1st HR of 2011. 

2. Jayson Werth saw more pitches per plate appearance than any player in baseball last season and he'd already walked six times in 2011 before the one-out walk he takes from Capuano in the third, and Werth goes first-to-third on Angel Pagan's arm when Ryan Zimmerman singles to center in the next at bat. Zimmerman takes second as Pagan stumbles and bounces the throw back to the infield. Michael Morse is 2 for 21 when he comes up to bat, and he's still 2 for 21 after a fastball hits him in the knee and has him limping toward first to load the bases. Wilson Ramos K's looking at a low 1-2 fastball that was too close to take and Rick Ankiel pops up behind short to strand both runners. 3-2 Nasts in the third after the RISP FAIL. 

1. Beltran Again: Gorzelanny leaves a 3-1 change up for Carlos Beltran who connects for what is only the second hit of the game for the Mets and Beltran's second HR of the night. High fly to left and over the wall above the 371ft sign in left field. Outside and low and Beltran and goes down to get it and lifts it all the way out to tie it at 3-3 after four...

...Ian Desmond starts the Nats' fifth with his first HR of the year, however, and the second HR from the Nats' middle infield tandem gives the Nationals a one-run lead. 4-3 in the fifth. Ryan Zimmerman gets a single through short and then takes third on a two-out double to center by Wilson Ramos, but third base coach Bo Porter holds Zimmerman at third as Pagan makes a great play to catch up to the ball and get it in quickly. Second and third, two down, tie game. Rick Ankiel... grounds out to second to end the Nats' fifth. RISP FAIL.

0. Big E: Tom Gorzelanny started the sixth with a leadoff walk to David Wright, just his second walk of the evening, and he gives up a looong fly ball to left by Carlos Beltran but it won't be Beltran's third HR as it dies and falls in front of the wall, where Jerry Hairston just whiffs, flat-out misses it, looking in toward first to see if Wright's running and letting it drop.

Wright takes third and Beltran's at second on the fielding error by the veteran outfielder. Gorzelanny gets Jerry's brother Scott swinging way out in front of a 2-2 change. Ike Davis up next, and he gets hold of a slider and drives it to right-center. Two runs score, and Davis takes third. 5-4 Mets take the lead in the sixth. Gorzelanny's done.

In spite of the fact that he said he wanted to protect Brian Broderick from pressure situations, but likely because he's overworked a few relievers, Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman brings the Rule 5 pick in with a runner on third and Broderick gives up an RBI single to Daniel Murphy, who gets a grounder through the drawn-in infield, under a diving Desmond to make it 6-4. After another single by the Mets' catcher with Murphy running and taking third, Broderick strikes Lucas Duda out and Nickeas is running and thrown out to end the inning. 

-1. Morse Inspires Followers: Michael Morse starts the eighth with a 10-pitch AB against Mets' right-hander Bobby Parnell, fouling off two mid-90's full-count fastballs before lining to right for a leadoff single. Wilson Ramos lets Parnell walk him and Rick Ankiel's up with two on and no one out. After just missing a HR to right that keeps sailing right and goes foul, Ankiel takes a 2-2 fastball down the middle for a called strike three. Danny Espinosa fouls off two full-count fastballs before he K's swinging on the eight pitch of the at bat. Pinch hitter Matt Stairs will face Francisco Rodriguez, and K-Rod gets a groundout to second. Nats 1 for 7 with RISP, 7 LOB.

-2. Too Much For Broderick: Brian Broderick gives up a single to Ike Davis in the eighth sandwiched between two HBP's on Scott Hairston and Brad Emaus and the bases are loaded with no one out when he's lifted for Doug Slaten. Josh Thole grounds back up the middle, through Ike Davis' legs and Ian Desmond sells the interference or is genuinely interfered with on what could have been a DP. Bases loaded with one out for reasons that'll have to be explained to me. The Ump punches Davis out for interference, 6-unassisted, and the bases remain loaded with one down. Francisco Rodriguez K's swinging in his first Major League AB. Slaten starts Jose Reyes with three straight balls, gets a full count and then gives up a two-run double to left that makes it 8-4 Mets...

K-Rod puts the first two Nats on in the ninth, but Jayson Werth grounds into a potential-rally-killing double play and Ryan Zimmerman swings through a 1-2 change that ends the game. 8-4 final.

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Nationals now 3-5.