Washington Nationals 9-4 over the New York Mets: Gio Gonzalez wins fifth straight start

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Gio Gonzalez started today’s matchup in the nation’s capital with a four-start winning streak going, over which the left-hander had put up a 0.33 ERA in 27 ²⁄₃ innings pitched, and he had a three-start winning streak against the New York Mets, over which he’d put up a 2.37 ERA in 19 IP.

He extended both streaks with a solid 6 ²⁄₃-inning outing in which he gave up six hits and two earned runs in what ended up being a 9-4 win for the Washington Nationals.

Robert Gsellman gave up six runs (two earned) in four innings as the Nats jumped out to an early lead on their divisional rivals with Wilmer Difo (wild pitch) and Anthony Rendon (fielder’s choice) scoring from third base in the opening frame, before Adrian Sanchez lined a two-out, two-run, bases-loaded single to left field as the Nationals jumped all over the Mets’ right-hander in the first.

The Nationals added runs on an RBI single by Adam Lind in the fifth and an RBI single by Rendon in the fourth, and survived a late, eighth-inning surge and added three in the bottom of the inning as they evened things up the four-game set that continues with tomorrow’s doubleheader.

Nationals now 77-50

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Gio Gonzalez put Asdrubal Cabrera on with two out in the first, and the Nats’ left-hander’s first walk of the game almost came back to bite him when Cabrera took second on a wild pitch and tried to score on single to center by Wilmer Flores.

Michael A. Taylor charged in on it and came up throwing, however, and he had Cabrera by three steps at home, where Matt Wieters applied the inning-ending tag. Taylor’s sixth outfield assist of the season.

• With one out in the Nationals’ half of the first, Wilmer Difo reached on an error on a grounder to the right side when Mets’ starter Robert Gsellman dropped the toss to the bag by first baseman Wilmer Flores. Difo took third on a double to left by Anthony Rendon, and scored on a wild pitch, then Rendon, who took third on the wild pitch, came in on a grounder by Adam Lind, when Mets’ shortstop Amed Rosario threw home too late to get the runner, 2-0.

• With the bases loaded and two out in the first, after a single by Michael A. Taylor and a walk by Andrew Stevenson, Adrian Sanchez lined a 2-2 changeup from Gsellman to left field for a two-run single that made it a 4-0 game after one.

• Anthony Rendon grounded into a double play with runners on first and second and no one out in the second, but Wilmer Difo was left on second base (after singling to center) and Adam Lind drove him in with a grounder through the right side, 5-0.

• Gio Gonzalez gave up back-to-back two-out hits by Jose Reyes (double) and Juan Lagares (RBI single) in the third as the Mets got on the board, down 5-1.

• Howie Kendrick was 1 for 2 on the afternoon after a single up the middle with one down in the Nats’ half of the fourth, and he took second base on a Wilmer Difo groundout before scoring on a two-out RBI liner to left by Anthony Rendon, 6-1.

• Robert Gsellman’s Line: 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 74 P, 43 S, 8/1 GO/FO.

• Chasen Bradford took over for New York in the bottom of the fifth inning, and retired the Nats in order in a 10-pitch frame, and the Mets cut into the Nationals’ lead with a solo home run by Wilmer Flores on an 0-1 fastball the first baseman lined to left, off of the top of the wall, and into the visitor’s bullpen. 6-2 Nationals.

• Gonzalez gave up a leadoff single by Kevin Plawecki in the seventh, but got two outs before he was done for the night, with the second on a grounder to the right side that Adrian Sanchez dove for before throwing to first from his knees for the out.

• Gio Gonzalez’s Line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 Ks, 1 HR, 103 P, 66 S, 9/2 GO/FO.

• Matt Albers took over with a runner on second and one out in the seventh and got the final out of the frame.

• Brandon Kintzler gave up a leadoff single by Jose Reyes and a one-out double to left by Asdrubal Cabrera (that almost went out). With runners on second and third, Kintzler allowed a two-run double to right by Wilmer Flores that made it a two-run game, 6-4.

• Kevin Plawecki hit a two-out single to center on Kintzler’s 20th pitch, putting runners on the corners with two down, but a groundout to short ended the threat, still 6-4.

• Michael A. Taylor was 3 for 4 on the day after he singled on a line drive to center to start the Nats’ eighth. Adrian Sanchez squared to bunt and took a 97 mph sinker from Jeurys Familia to the chest. He was down for a while, but it was eventually ruled a strike since he hadn’t pulled back, so he stepped back in and sent an RBI single to left, 7-4.

• Daniel Murphy walked to move Edwin Jackson (who came on to run for Sanchez) into scoring position, and Howie Kendrick sent an RBI single to center to make it a four-run game, 8-4. Wilmer Difo added to the lead with an RBI single to right, 9-4.

• Sean Doolittle had been warming, but with a five-run lead, Oliver Perez came on in the ninth and gave up a pinch hit triple by Matt Reynolds but he stranded Reynolds two outs later. Ballgame. Final Score: 9-4 Nationals.

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• With last night’s loss, the Washington Nationals are now 126-108 in the all-time series with New York, but the Nationals have gone 44-26 against the Mets since the start of the 2014 campaign.
• Washington’s starters have combined for a 1.94 ERA in their last 15 starts and 92 ²⁄₃ innings pitched heading into today’s matchup with the Mets, and the starting staff currently leads the majors in opponents’ batting average (.228), is ranked second in opponents’ OBP (.297), second in opponents’ SLG (.381), and ERA (3.48).
• Mets’ relievers have given up just four earned runs in the last nine games and 31 IP for a (1.16 ERA) over as a group over that stretch.
• With a 35-26 record at home in the nation’s capital after last night’s loss, the Nationals have the fourth-best home winning percentage in the NL.
• New York is 12-12 at Nationals Park since 2015, including 3-3 this year, and the Mets have hit 27 home runs in their last 18 games in the nation’s capital heading into this afternoon’s matchup.
• Gio Gonzalez, who starts vs the Mets today, is currently ranked 3rd in the majors in ERA (2.39), one of three starters in the top six in ERA in the majors along with Max Scherzer (2nd, 2.25), and Stephen Strasburg (6th, 3.10).
• Gonzalez started the day with a four-start winning streak over which he’s put up a 0.33 ERA in 27 ²⁄₃ IP, and a three-start winning streak against the Mets, over which he was (3-0 obviously) with a 2.37 ERA in 19 IP.
• Washington’s offense started the day leading the NL In SLG (.459), runs scored (tied, 659), and extra-base hits (450), and ranked second in AVG (.269) and OPS (.792).

Nationals now 77-50