Washington Nationals avoid sweep with 7-4 win over New York Mets in series finale in Citi Field...

New York’s Mets came into today’s series finale with six straight wins over Washington in Citi Field, eight straight wins overall, and wins in 15 of the last 16 games, after taking the first two with the Nationals this weekend.

The Nats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Mets rallied to tie it in the bottom of the second.

It was still 3-3 after six, but the Nationals scored two on an Asdrúbal Cabrera double in the top of the seventh, 5-3.

The Mets scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, 5-4, but after taking five straight games in Citi Field that the Nationals led in the eighth, that streak ended today, 7-4 Nats final (after Victor Robles hit a two-run blast in the ninth).

Sánchez vs the Mets: With a strong outing against the San Francisco Giants last week in Oracle Park, Aníbal Sánchez extended his personal unbeaten streak to 13-straight starts, over which the 35-year-old, 14-year veteran was (7-0) with a 2.76 ERA, 17 walks, and 57 Ks, holding opposing hitters to a combined .225/.277/.371 line against in 71 ²⁄₃ IP.

Sánchez took the mound this afternoon in Citi Field with a 3-0 lead, and tossed a scoreless, 1-2-3 first, but back-to-back one-out hits and a two-out RBI single by Joe Panik in the home-half of the second got the home team on the board, down 3-1. Jacob deGrom bunted for a hit, loading the bases with two out, and Jeff McNeil hit a first-pitch splitter by first base and drove two more in to tie it up at 3-3 after two.

After giving up five hits and three runs in the second, Sánchez held the Mets there through five, stranding a leadoff double in the fourth, and two runners in the fifth, to keep it tied, 3-3.

Aníbal Sánchez’s Line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 89 P, 56 S, 4/4 GO/FO.

deGrom vs the Nats: Jacob deGrom took the mound this afternoon unbeaten in his last six starts, with a 1.35 ERA, 13 walks, 54 Ks, and a .186/.253/.271 line against in 40 innings on the mound in those outings, which left the 31-year-old right-hander (7-7) overall with a 2.77 ERA, 35 walks, 182 Ks, and a stingy .222/.274/.356 line against in 143 IP.

deGrom was taking on the Nationals for the third time this season, after posting a 0.75 ERA (1 ER in 12 IP) in the previous two outings against the Mets’ divisional rivals.

deGrom took the mound this afternoon with a streak of six consecutive outings in which he gave up two runs or fewer, and fell behind 3-0 early when the Nationals loaded the bases on a leadoff single by Trea Turner, one-out single by Anthony Rendon, and a walk by Juan Soto, and scored three on an error on a grounder to first when Pete Alonso fielded it off Asdrúbal Cabrera’s bat and threw it by the covering pitcher.

After the Mets got on the board in the bottom of the second, a well-placed bunt by deGrom kept the inning going long enough for Jeff McNeil to drive in two more and tie it up, and the Mets’ starter settled in and held the Nationals to three runs through five, though his pitch count was up to 101 after a 14-pitch fifth and Mickey Callaway went to the bullpen in the top of the sixth...

Jacob deGrom’s Line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 Ks, 101 P, 65 S, 4/3 GO/FO.

Turn-on & SotOBP: Trea Turner singled the second time up last night, for his only hit in a 1 for 4 game, but it was enough to extend his on-base streak to 18-straight, in which the 26-year-old shortstop was 25 for 74 (.338/.417/.527) with three doubles, a triple, three home runs, and 10 walks in 84 plate appearances.

Turner made it 19-straight in which he’d reached base with an infield single in his first at bat against Mets’ righty Jacob deGrom today, leading off the game with a hit.

Juan Soto homered off Noah Syndergaard the first time up last night, walked in his second trip to the plate, and homered again in his fourth plate appearance in a 2 for 3 game which left him 17 for 57 (.298/.438./719) with three doubles, seven home runs, and 15 walks in his own on-base streak, which was stretched to 16 straight games.

Soto extended his streak with a one-out walk in the top of the first today, and both he and Turner scored on a bases-loaded error that allowed three runs in in the opening frame.

deGrominated No More: Anthony Rendon came into today’s matchup just 2 for 28 against Jacob deGrom in their respective careers (.071/.257/.107), and proceeded to single the first time up on a soft line drive to right, before sending a grounder to left in his second trip to the plate, and then lining a third hit to right field in his third at bat against the Mets’ starter, 3 for 3.

Rendon was 4 for 4 on the day after connecting for the second of one-out, back-to-back hits in the top of the seventh. He finished the game 4 for 5.

Also: Rendon did these things...

BULLPEN ACTION: Luis Avilán came on for the Mets in the top of the sixth inning, and gave up one and two-out singles, but Brad Brach took over with runners on the corners, and got out No. 3 from pinch hitter Brian Dozier. Still 3-3 in Citi Field.

Tanner Rainey gave up a two-out walk to Joe Panik and Davey Martinez turned to lefty Matt Grace against left-handed pinch hitter Luis Guillorme, and Grace got a swinging K for out No. 3 to keep it tied.

Robert Gsellman gave up back-to-back, one-out hits by Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon (4 for 4) in the top of the seventh, and an error by Jeff McNeil in right on Rendon’s hit allowed Eaton to take third base.

Justin Wilson took over for NY with lefties Juan Soto and Matt Adams due up, and Soto took a base-loading walk from the southpaw reliever. Adams (0 for 3, 3 Ks) went down swinging at a 96 MPH 2-2 fastball (0 for 4, 4 Ks).

Asdrúbal Cabrera stepped in next and hit a two-out double to right field, 5-3. Juan Soto got tagged out on the play when he tried to pull up late going around third.

[ed. note- “Soto was injured on the play as well (turned ankle?), and left the game at that point.”]

Matt Grace stayed on to face lefty Jeff McNeil in the bottom of the eighth, and gave up a double to right-center field.

Hunter Strickland came on with a runner on second and no one out and gave up an opposite field single to right by Amed Rosario.

McNeil took a base on the hit and scored on a sac fly by Michael Conforto, 5-4. Pete Alonso fouled a ball off that was ruled a HBP and the Nationals didn’t challenge it for some reason...

J.D. Davis stepped in with two on and one out, with the tying run at second, and K’d looking at a high fastball for out No. 2.

Daniel Hudson came on to face Wilson Ramos with two on and two out and got a line drive to left for out No. 3.

Jeurys Familia struck out the side in the top of the eighth to keep it a one-run game.

Wander Suero GOT THE NATIONALS THROUGH THE EIGHTH with a 13-pitch, 1-2-3 frame.

Edwin Díaz gave up a one-out walk to Adam Eaton, and a two-out, two-run home run to left by Victor Robles, 7-4. No. 15 for Robles in 2019.

Sean Doolittle came on in the ninth with a three-run lead, and retired the side in order to end it. Ballgame. Nationals beat the Mets, 7-4 final.

Nationals now 62-55