Washington Nationals swept in four-game set in Citi Field after another bullpen blow-up, 6-4 New York Mets...

For the first time in franchise history (2005-present) the Washington Nationals were swept by the New York Mets in a four-game set with this afternoon’s 6-4 loss in Citi Field. With the loss, the Nats fell 12 games under .500, and they head home with a five-game losing streak going. Davey Martinez’s squad rallied to take a 4-3 lead with a three-run eighth, but Wander Suero gave up a leadoff double, two-out IBB, and a go-ahead, three-run home run by Carlos Gómez in the bottom of the inning which put the Mets up for good, 6-4 final.

Strasburg vs the Mets: In four starts this month before today, Stephen Strasburg was (2-2) with a 2.63 ERA, six walks, 34 Ks, and a .211/.262/.263 line against in 27 ¹⁄₃ IP.

Overall on the season, the 30-year-old righty was (4-3) with a 3.32 ERA, 16 walks, 82 Ks and a .204/.257/.336 line against in 65 IP.

Strasburg took the mound in the series finale in Citi Field coming off a strong eight-inning outing against the Cubs at home in the nation’s capital last week in which he threw just 93 pitches total before he was lifted from what ended up a 5-2 win.

He tossed four scoreless to start this afternoon, on just 52 pitches, working around three hits and a walk and striking out five batters, but a leadoff single by Carlos Gómez, an E:2 throwing error on Yan Gomes on an attempt to catch Gómez at second base, and sac fly that brought the runner in made it 1-0 Mets.

It was 1-1 when Strasburg took the mound in the sixth and gave up a one-out single by J.D. Davis and hit Todd Frazier to put two runners on, before a wild pitch moved both of them into scoring position, and a sac fly to center by Pete Alonso made it 2-1 Mets, and an E:6 on a Wilson Ramos’ grounder to short brought in run No. 3, 3-1.

Stephen Strasburg’s Line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 101 P, 64 S, 5/4 GO/FO.

Matz vs the Nats: Mets’ lefty Steven Matz missed time earlier this month dealing with pain in his left forearm diagnosed as radial nerve discomfort, which landed him on the Injured List, but he returned to throw 3 ²⁄₃ innings against the Marlins in Miami on May 18th.

Matz tossed five scoreless against the Nationals back on April 6th in Citi Field, and he was taking them on again this afternoon in the series finale in the Mets’ home.

Matz worked around back-to-back, one-out singles in the first, a leadoff triple in the second, and a one-out double in the third to complete three scoreless on 39 pitches.

Juan Soto singled with one out in the fourth, and Brian Dozier doubled to left in the next at bat to send Soto around to third, but Victor Robles K’d looking and after an intentional walk to Yan Gomes, and Stephen Strasburg K’d looking as well, to end a 20-pitch frame that left Matz at 59 pitches.

Juan Lagares misplayed a fly to center into a “double” by Adam Eaton with one down in the top of the fifth, but two outs later Eaton was still standing at second and Matz was through five scoreless on 75 pitches.

Juan Soto doubled to start the top of the sixth, and scored on an error by second baseman Adeiny Hechavarria on a glove-toss to first base on a Brian Dozier bunt, 1-1.

Steven Matz’s Line: 6.0 IP, 10 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 Ks, 88 P, 63 S, 6/1 GO/FO.

• The Little Things - A Long List: Adam Eaton lined one to left with one out in the first, but in spite of the fact that J.D. Davis struggled to get the ball out of the corner, when the ball came in Eaton was standing on first base. Why? He missed the bag as he turned the corner and had to return to first base. Eaton took third on a single by Anthony Rendon in the next at bat, when he’d probably have scored from second on the hit, and was stranded at third base when Howie Kendrick hit into an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play.

Juan Soto tripled to start the second, but after a swinging K by Brian Dozier, and a walk by Victor Robles, Yan Gomes grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3.

Trea Turner doubled to center with one out in the third, but Adam Eaton grounded out to third, unproductively, and Anthony Rendon K’d looking to end the third with Turner still at second base.

Victor Robles K’d looking at a full-count curve with runners on second and third and one out in the fourth, and after a base-loading IBB, Stephen Strasburg did the same: 0 for 7 w/RISP, 6 LOB.

Anthony Rendon hit a one-hop liner to short with a runner (Adam Eaton) on second and one out in the fifth, and Howie Kendrick hit a bullet to left for out No. 3. 0 for 9 w/RISP, 7 LOB.

Yan Gomes threw one away trying to catch Carlos Gómez stealing after a leadoff single in the fifth, E:2. Gómez took third on the error and scored on a sac fly, 1-0.

Brian Dozier reached safely on a bunt with Juan Soto on the second in the sixth, and Soto scored on an error on the play, but Dozier took second, and inexplicably tried for third as things slowed down on the play and was thrown out easily for the first out of the inning.

With two on, one out in the sixth, Stephen Strasburg threw a curve in the dirt that beat Yan Gomes to the five-hole, putting both runners into scoring position before a sac fly brought one run in, and an E:6 on Trea Turner on a Wilson Ramos’ grounder to short brought in the second run, 3-1.

That’s it, we quit, this list is too long...

Rendon OBP Streak: Anthony Rendon started the day with a nine-game on-base streak going, over which he was 12 for 31 (.387 AVG) with a .513 OBP and an .839 SLG over the recent stretch and five doubles, three homers, eight walks, and 10 runs scored in the last nine. He extended that streak with broken-bat single to center in the top of the first.

BULLPEN ACTION: Jeurys Familia retired the Nationals in order in the seventh, throwing 16 pitches total in a clean frame.

Howie Kendrick and Davey Martinez (who got dirt-kicking, cap-tossing mad) were both ejected from the game in the top of the eighth, arguing a check-swing strike three call (Kendrick went, sorry).

Mets’ right-hander Robert Gsellman gave up a one-out walk to Juan Soto after the ejections, and Victor Robles singled to move Soto to third before Yan Gomes drove him in with a two-out double to left-center field, 3-2 Mets.

With runners on second and third, pinch hitter Gerardo Parra got to a 2-2 count and drove both runners in to make it 4-3 Nats.

Wander Suero took over for the Nationals in the bottom of the eighth... and promptly gave up a leadoff double by Dominic Smith, but back-to-back Ks got the Nats’ right the first two outs, and after an intentional walk to Wilson Ramos ... Carlos Gómez hit a 93 MPH 1-2 cut fastball out to left field for a three-run blast that made it 6-4 Mets.

Edwin Díaz finished it off with a scoreless top of the ninth. 6-4 Mets final.

Nationals now 19-31