New York Mets’ first-inning slam all they need in 6-2 win over Washington Nationals...

A wide throw to first base and dropped ball on a potential inning-ending 4-6-3 double play in the first extended the opening frame, and a single, walk, and grand slam followed as the New York Mets jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the series opener with Washington’s Nationals, and went on to a 6-2 win in the nation’s capital.

Hellboy vs NYM: Winless in four starts (0-1) with the Nationals 1-3 in those outings, Jeremy Hellickson took the mound tonight with a 7.79 ERA over that stretch, and 5.52 ERA over 31 innings pitched on the season before the series opener with the New York Mets.

Coming off his shortest start of 2019 so far, a brief four-inning, 99-pitch outing against the Brewers on the road in Milwaukee, Hellickson looked like he was through a quick, 14-pitch first against the Mets tonight, when he got a potential double play grounder out of second baseman Robinson Canó, but after the 4-6 part of the 4-6-3, fill-in Nationals’ first baseman Gerardo Parra stretched for Wilmer Difo’s wide throw, but dropped it.

Canó was originally called out, but after a review that call was reversed, with Canó ruled safe, and a single and walk followed as the Mets loaded the bases in front of Wilson Ramos, who hit the 26th pitch of the inning from Hellickson out to left for a grand slam, 4-0 Mets after one.

Hellickson held the Mets there through five, throwing just 32 pitches total over those four innings, but a single and walk in the first two at bats of the sixth ended his outing after 75 pitches total...

Jeremy Hellickson’s Line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 Ks, 1 HR, 75 P, 44 S, 4/4 GO/FO.

Thor vs D.C.: Noah Syndergaard threw a complete game shutout against Cincinnati’s Reds at home in Citi Field on May 2nd, but struggled against the San Diego Padres last time out before tonight, giving up nine hits and five runs, four earned, over six innings on the mound in Petco Park.

Syndergaard got off to a good start tonight in the series opener in Nationals Park, holding the Nats hitless through five, with only a hit-by-pitch in the first inning and leadoff walk in the second marring his no-hit bid.

Syndergaard retired 12-straight after the second-inning walk to Anthony Rendon (who did walk more than he K’d in college), and was up to just 59 pitches after six hitless frames.

Wilmer Difo snapped that streak of retired batters with a leadoff single in the sixth, ending Syndergaard’s nascent no-hit bid, and pinch hitter Adrían Sanchez followed with hit No. 2, sending a grounder through the left side.

A double play followed, but after he lost his no-hit bid, Syndergaard lost his shutout bid as well, when his arch enemy Victor Robles hit his third home run of the season off of the Mets’ starter, a two-run blast that made it a 5-2 game in NY’s favor.

Syndergaard worked around a leadoff single in the seventh, a 15-pitch frame that left him at 92 pitches total on the night.

Noah Syndergaard’s Line: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks, 1 HR, 102 P, 64 S, 9/4 GO/FO.

Offense-Offensive: Los Angeles Dodgers’ starter Hyun-Jin Ryu (who took a no-hit bid into the eighth) and closer Kenley Jansen (who tossed a scoreless ninth) combined to hold the Nationals to just one hit in the finale of the four-game set in LA on Sunday.

Tonight in D.C., Mets’ righty Noah Syndergaard held the Nationals hitless through five, but finally gave up a single by Wilmer Difo in the sixth.

It was, of course, a 5-0 game in the Mets’ favor at that point...

Robles vs Thor: After Victor Robles hit his first two home runs of the 2019 campaign off Mets’ righty Noah Syndergaard, who doesn’t give up a lot of home runs, the 21-year-old outfielder was asked why he was having such success against the starter.

“I’ve been taking the same approach with him as I have with anybody else,” Robles said.

“It’s just unfortunate for him and good for me, that the two home runs are against him, but I stay with my same approach.”

His home run off Syndergaard tonight, was his 7th overall on the season and Syndergaard’s ninth homer allowed in 55 innings, after he gave up nine total in 154 ¹⁄₃ IP last season.

BULLPEN ACTION: Matt Grace took over for Hellickson with two on and no one out in the sixth, and gave up a long fly to center on a 1-2 sinker to Brandon Nimmo, who hit one over Victor Robles’s head in center for an RBI double that made it a 5-0 Mets’ lead.

Erick Fedde got the ball for the Nationals in the seventh, in a 5-2 game, and retired the side in order in a nine-pitch frame (almost missing first base while covering, then catching up pop-up near home in the middle of both Yan Gomes, who did not seem happy, and Anthony Rendon).

Fedde worked a scoreless top of the eighth as well, but Joe Ross got the top of the ninth and gave up a one-out home run by Dominic Smith on a 3-0 fastball, 6-2.

Seth Lugo got the ninth inning and worked around a two-out double by Anthony Rendon for a scoreless inning, 6-2 NY final.

Nationals now 16-25