Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats & New York Mets suspended by rain in 3rd; split doubleheader today...

Williams Back in Washington:

Trevor Williams’ seventh start of the season with the Nationals was a bit of a dud. Over the course of just 4 ¹⁄₃ IP the veteran right-hander gave up seven hits, two home runs, and five runs total, all earned, in what ended up a comeback 9-8 win over Arizona’s D-backs on the road in Chase Field.

“I wish I went a little deeper, and I wanted to be the stopper today,” Williams said, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman after the win, which came after back-to-back losses in their first two with the Diamondbacks.

“It wasn’t the start we were looking for, but thankfully this offense has been picking us up and picking me up.”

The outing took him from a 3.41 ERA to 4.25, with a 4.85 FIP, and .277/.318/.489 line against seven starts and 36 IP into the first year of his 2-year/$13M deal with the Nats.

Start No. 8 began with a nine-pitch, 1-2-3 first. Then he threw a 15-pitch top of the second, in a steady rain in Nationals Park. Daniel Vogelbach singled on a 2-1 fastball over the middle to lead off the third, and he took third base on a double to center by Michael Perez one out later, before the umpires called a halt to the proceedings, and the grounds crew rolled out the tarp...

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

And four-ish hours later...

“Due to inclement weather, tonight’s game has been suspended.

This game will be made up tomorrow as part of a split admission doubleheader.

Game 1, the continuation of today’s game, will begin at 12:35 PM.

Game 2 will begin at 4:35 PM.”

The decision did not go over well ... especially with the Mets’ SNY announce team:

“I’m going to sit here and apologize to the fans, because it took a while,” Davey Martinez told reporters once the decision was announced, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.

“But we wanted to make sure we got it right. We wanted to give them a chance to try to get the field ready. We just didn’t feel like it was safe for the players. And I thought we were all in agreement at that point, and that was it. Sometimes, Mother Nature gets the best of you, and there was nothing we could do about it.”

Key Moments:

• Lane Thomas singled. Luis García bunted him over to second. Okay. Well, if it — and then Joey Meneses drove Thomas in with a single off Mets’ lefty Joey Lucchesi, 1-0. Point! Up next? Keibert Ruiz, who lined a 1-0 cutter off the wall in left center for a double (No. 6), to move Meneses over to third (Not speedy!).

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Alex Call walked to load the bases up in front of Dom Smith, who grounded into an inning-ending double play.

• Jeimer Candelario doubled to start the Nats’ second, but three outs later he was stranded at third base as Lucchesi settled in after the rough start...

Davey Martinez on His Drive to Nationals Park:

“I was driving here today,” Davey Martinez said of his regular commute to Nationals Park, “... and I saw a Little League game playing, and I was at the light waiting, and it was like blue vs gold or whatever, because I couldn’t see a name on them. But it puts things in perspective for me, watching those guys just run around, catching the balls, the dads throwing to them. And I said for me it was like, ‘Wow.’ I’m going to the ballpark to go play a baseball game, watch these guys play. And for me it was a lot of fun. I almost pulled over.

“But I thought, ‘Oh my God, I would never get our of here, then I would be in trouble.’ But I just wanted to go and watch the game.

“For me it’s fun. But I thought I’d share that, it was pretty cool.”

Bad Trend For NYM:

With the one run they allowed in the bottom of the first this afternoon, the New York Mets’ starters have allowed a first inning run in seven straight games, and overall on the season, the club noted in the pregame notes for the second of four in Washington, D.C., New York has been outscored 36-9 in first innings this year, with the club 6-18 when their opponents scores first, and 13-2 when they do. Will it be 6-19 at the end of this game?