Washington Nationals drop series opener to New York Mets, 7-1: Bartolo Colon has his revenge

Gio Gonzalez got the best of his matchup with Bartolo Colon last week in New York's Citi Field, on a night on which the Mets' veteran was not himself on the mound, walking more batters in 4 ⅔ innings pitched (5), than he had in 43 ⅓ IP in eight appearances, seven of them starts before that outing (4).

Tonight in the nation's capital the two starters met again. This time it was Gonzalez who had a rough outing, giving up three home runs and seven runs total in five innings of work in what ended up a 7-1 loss.

Washington struck first with Jayson Werth singling with one down and going first-to-third on a grounder up the middle by Daniel Murphy before scoring on an opposite field liner to right by Ryan Zimmerman, 1-0.

A hit-by-pitch and a single to right set the Mets up with runners on first and third with one out in the third inning, and David Wright took a first-pitch change to left in the next at bat for a three-run blast that made it 3-1 New York.

Three straight singles followed Wright's three-run blast with Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera spraying grounders around the infield. Cespedes scored on Cabrera's hit and Walker came in on a sac fly by Eric Campbell that made it 5-1 NY.

Yoenis Cespedes, who started the night with a gaudy .400/.571/.840 line, two doubles, three home runs and 10 walks in 35 PAs against lefties this season, hit a 3-1 fastball out to center in the fifth for his fourth home run off of left-handed pitchers this year and a 6-1 Mets' lead.

Neil Walker followed with a solo HR to left on a 1-0 curve and the Mets were up 7-1 after four and a half following the back-to-back blasts.

• Gio Gonzalez's Line: 5.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 7 Ks, 3 HRs, 90 P, 56 S, 5/1 GO/FO.

Colon ended up going seven innings, allowing just five hits, two walks and one earned run. He threw a total of just 90 pitches, after throwing 107 in 4 ⅔ last week. 7-1 Mets final.

Nationals now 27-18

NATS NOTES:

• Washington started the three-game set with New York in D.C. with a 107-98 record in the All-time series vs the Mets, and a 25-16 record against their divisional rivals since the start of the 2014 campaign.
• New York has won three straight games in the nation's capital going back to last season after they went 6-3 in D.C. in 2015. The Mets came to the nation's capital with a three-game winning streak going.
• In today's Nationals-themed "Fun with Arbitrary End Points" segment Anthony Rendon is 17 for 42 (.405 AVG) with five doubles, one triple, 10 walks and two stolen bases... in 12 games since May 10th.
• Former Met and current National Daniel Murphy started the series leading the majors in batting average (.387 AVG) and multi-hit games (21). Murphy's 21 games have come in his first 43 games with the Nationals. He made it 22 in 44 games with singles in each of his first two at bats.
• In a bonus Nationals-themed "Fun with Arbitrary End Points" segment, the Nationals' bullpen has put up a 0.56 ERA, the best in the majors and 9.7 K/9, while surrendering just four extra base hits... since May 9th.
• The Mets' bullpen has thrown 14 ⅓ scoreless over the four games, and New York's relievers lead the majors with a 2.33 ERA so far this season.
• Bryce Harper starts the series with the Mets leading the majors in OBP (.451), walks (48) and intentional walks (13).
• New York's Mets have 60 home runs as a team through 43 games, which is the most in team history through 43 games.
• Mets' pitchers have allowed just 27 home runs total this year, so their +33 HR differential is the best in the majors this season.
• While the Mets issued 11 walks in Bartolo Colon's last start vs the Nationals, they have a major-league leading 10 games without a single walk this season.

Nationals now 27-18