Nats fall 10-8 to Mets in slugfest at Shea Stadium
In one of the wildest games of the year, the Nationals couldn't contain the power of the Mets and lost a crazy 10-8 game, in the second to last game they will play in Shea Stadium.
Neither John Lannan nor Oliver Perez, who started the game, pitched particularly well and the bullpens' weren't much better, as the two teams combined for 18 runs and 26 hits in this seesaw affair in Flushing New York.
The two Carlos' took matters in their own hands, in the sixth, to tie the game and eventually take the lead, one wouldn't relinquish.
Carlos Delgado's solo homer, off Charlie Manning, tied the game and Carlos Delgado's two-run shot, his second of the night; put them up by two, the same amount they would win by.
The Mets jumped on Lannan in the second when Damion Easley hit a two-run double, scoring Carlos Delgado and Fernando Tatis, to take a 2-0 lead.
Washington tied the game in the third when Cristian Guzman hit a two-run homer off Perez. It was Guzman's first long ball since August 28th at Nationals Park.
Former National Ryan Church untied the game in the third with his 12th home run of the season, but the Mets weren't done yet. After David Wright singled, Delgado went deep to right for a two-run bomb and New York built a 5-2 lead.
The Nationals' showed grit and did something in the fourth inning that the team hasn't done since August,21 2005; string together six consecutive hits en route to scoring five time to take a 7-5 lead.
Aaron Boone walked and one-out later Wil Nieves singled. Alberto Gonzalez singled to score Boone and both runners advanced on left fielder Fernando Tatis' error. After a coaching visit to the mound, Anderson Hernandez hit a 2-run single to tie the game at 5-5 and send Perez to the showers.
After Cristian Guzman singled, Ryan Zimmerman's single, off Nelson Figueroa, scored Hernandez. Lastings Milledge's base hit scored Guzman to make it 7-5. All this happened with one a out and it looked like they would add more but Boone grounded into the 6-4-3 inning ending double play.
New York tied the game at 7-7 in the home half of the inning on Brian Schneider's RBI ground out and Wright's RBI single.
Washington briefly took an 8-7 when Willie Harris, who walked, ended up on third on pinch-hitter Pete Orr's single. Anderson Hernandez grounded out, scoring Harris and breaking the 7-7 tie.
Another former National, Luis Ayala, pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his sixth save of the season.
Final Linescore
Nationals 8-12-1
Mets 10-14-1
WP-Smith (4-3)
LP-Manning (1-3)
SV-Ayala (6)
HR-Guzman (7), Church (12), Delgado 2 (35), Beltran (23)
Pete McElroy's Live Gameblog
Mets scoring, 6th inning
New York is using their muscle to push the Nationals bullpen around as this game gets to later innings.
Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer, off Charlies Manning, to give the Mets a 9-8 lead. The next batter, Carlos Delgado, made it a two-run advantage, 10-8, with his second long b
