Nats fall 13-10 in seesaw affair in final game at Shea
Just like Tuesday night, the Nationals' scratched and clawed their way back from an early deficit to tie the game, only to see the bullpen; more precisely Saul Rivera, implode and lose a game they easily could have won.
With the game tied 7-7 in the seventh, Rivera gave up four runs on three hits, an error and a wild pitch to take an 11-7 lead. Washington made it a one-run game in the eighth when Cristian Guzman hit his second home run of the game, a three-run blast, to cut the lead to 11-10.
David Wright would add his 28th home run, a two-run shot, in the eighth to put New York ahead, 13-10, for good. Former National Luis Ayala closed out the win and picked up his seventh save with a perfect ninth inning. Rivera suffered the loss, his sixth of the season.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Elijah Dukes hit a solo bomb to left to tie the game. It was his career-high, 11th of the year. Dukes irked the Mets when he kissed the ball goodbye as he left the batters box.
New York looked like they were going to run away with the game when they scored six times in the third off Nationals starter Odalis Perez. With one out, Perez allowed seven straight Mets to reach base and take a 7-1 lead.
David Wright and Carlos Beltran both had RBI singles. Fernando Tatis drove in two with a double and Damion Easley's two-run single capped the six run inning and chased Perez from the game.
As they did Tuesday night, Washington began to chip away at a big Mets lead. Wil Nieves doubled home a run in the fourth to make it 7-2.
Ryan Zimmerman's ground out and Kory Casto's two-run single, in the fifth, made it a two-run game, 7-5 and that was the end of the night for New York starter Mike Pelfrey.
Guzman tied the game in the sixth with a two-run homer off Aaron Heilman. It was Guzman's eighth long ball of the season.
After the six run third, Washington's bullpen; Levale Speigner, Garrett Mock and Michael Hinckley, tossed three scoreless innings before Rivera gave the game away in the seventh.
Two consecutive singles got the inning started. Carlos Delgado's sac fly broke the 7-7 tie. Fernando Tatis single to put runners on first and second. A throwing error, by Rivera, on a pick-off attempt, moved both runners into scoring position.
Rivera intentionally walked pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy to load the bases. Rivera uncorked a wild pitch to make it a 9-7 Mets lead. Brian Schneider followed with a two-run single to put New York up 11-7
The Nationals' got right back in the game in the eight on Guzman's second tater of the game. Aaron Boone singled and Emilio Bonifacio walked before Guzman made it an 11-10 game.
Joel Hanrahan trying to keep it that way, served up a two-run homer to Wright, who went 4-4 with three RBI and four runs scored, to put the game out of reach.
Postgame Notes
Guzman collected is 51st multi-hit game of the season, going 3-5 with 2 HR, 5 RBI and 3 runs scored. It was the first multi-homer game of his career.
Emilio Bonifacio went 0-4 but scored 3 runs.
Elijah Dukes' 11th home run was a career high for him. He had 10 last season for Tampa Bay.
Wil Nieves went 2-4 with an RBI. He has a hit in 24 of the 35 games that he's started.
Roger Bernadina picked up his first outfield assist when he threw out Brian Schneider trying to stretch a single into a double in the seventh.
Ryan Zimmerman had an RBI double. He has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games.
Final Linescore
Nationals 10-11-2
Braves 13-13-0
WP-Smith (5-3)
LP-Rivera (5-6)
SV-Ayala (7)
HR-Dukes (11), Guzman 2 (9), Wright (28)
Pete McElroy's Live Gameblog
Nationals scoring, 8th inning
Cristian Guzman, the Nationals' offensive MVP this season, is having one heck of a night. His second home run of the game, this one a three-run shot, brings Washington to within a run at 11-10 in the eighth.
Pinch-hitter Aaron Boone singled and Emilio Bonifacio walked, setting the table for Guzman's blast to right off Brian Stokes.
Mets scoring, 7th inning
It took the Nationals' three innings to get back in the game and tie the score 7-7. New York broke the tie and and took the lead in 1/3 of an inning.
Saul Rivera started the inning by giving up a single to David Wright and Carlos Beltran, putting runners on the corners. Carlos Delgado hit a sinking liner to left, which Roger Bernadina caught. Wright scored to give the Mets the 8-7 lead. Fernando Tatis followed with a single.
Rivera's throwing error, on a pick-off attempt, allowed both runners to advance a base. After an intentional walk, Rivera uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Beltran. Brian Schneider's two-run single plated two more runs and the Mets have a 11-7 lead entering the eighth.
Nationals scoring, 6th inning
The Nationals', who trailed 7-1 after three innings, just keep chipping away and Cristian Guzman's two-run bomb ties the game 7-7.
Washington had just one hit in the sixth, but that's all they needed to even the score. Emilio Bonifacio reached on a fielder's choice and scored ahead of Guzman's eighth home run of the season.
Nationals scoring, 5th inning
With two outs and the bases loaded, Kory Casto delivered a two-run silge to cut the Mets lead to 7-5
Ryan Zimmerman's ground out scored Emilio Bonifacio to make it a 7-3 game.
Bonifacio reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on Cristian Guzman's single to right. Ryan Church came up throwing, but the speedy Bonifacio slide in just ahead of the throw.
Zimmerman hit a slow roller to third and the only play David Wright had was at first. Wright made a bare-handed play to get Zimmerman, but the run scored and the Nats are beginning to chip away at the Mets lead.
After Lastings Milledge walked and Elijah Dukes was hit by a pitch, to load the bases, Casto singled off the glove of second baseman Damion Easley, scoring Guzman and Milledge.
Nationals scoring, 4th inning
Elijah Dukes doubled to lead-off the fourth, moved to third on a ground out and scored on Wil Nieves' infield single, that went off the glove of third baseman David Wright.
Dukes had words with Mets starter Mike Pelfrey after nearly getting hit with the first pitch of the inning after his long home run in the second. Dukes kissed his hand after the homer; showboating and showing up the pitcher. Both benches were warned so it will be interesting to see if anything happens from here on out.
Perez thru 3 innings
Odalis looks like he is throwing batting practice. Most of the hits the Mets have gotten have come on fastballs over the middle of the plate. He's only topping out at 87-89 MPH and the Mets are teeing off on him. Perez needed 25 pitches in the first and an eye-popping 44 to get out of the third, when the Mets sent 10 men to the plate.
3 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. 81 pitches, 41 strikes
Mets scoring, 3rd inning
Jose Reyes showed why he is one of the premier lead-off batters in all of baseball in the third inning.
Reyes singled, stole second and third and scored on David Wright's bloop single to break the 1-1 tie. Reyes now has 283 career stolen bases, a Mets franchise record. Carlos Beltran followed with an RBI sing to make it 3-1. After intentionally walking Carlos Delgado, to load the bases, Fernando Tatis doubled to the gap in left-center, scoring two.
With the infield in, Damion Easley singled to left, scoring two more and New York leads 7-1. After Mike Pelfrey struck out to start the inning, the next seven Mets reached base and six scored to blow the game open.
Nationals scoring, 2nd inning
Elijah Dukes continues to tear the cover off the ball and his home run in the second tied the game 1-1.
With one out, Dukes crushed the first pitch he saw from Mike Pelfrey deep into the seats in left field. It was the 11th on the season for Dukes and the fifth in his last 12 games. Two batters later, Wil Nieves doubled and Roger Bernadina walked, but Odalis Perez ground out to Pelfrey to end the inning.
Mets scoring, 1st inning
Odalis Perez had a shaky first inning and the Mets, who seem to score a first inning run every game, capitalized.
David Wright hit a two-out double and came around to score on Carlos Beltran's singe to center, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. Perez walked Jose Reyes to start the game, but he got Ryan Church to ground into a double play.
Starting Line-Ups
Nationals
2B Emilio Bonifacio
SS Cristian Guzman
3B Ryan Zimmerman
CF Lastings Milledge
RF Elijah Dukes
1B Kory Casto
C Wil Nieves
LF Roger Bernadina
P Odalis Perez
Mets
SS Jose Reyes
RF Ryan Church
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Fernando Tatis
2B Damion Easley
C Brian Schneider
P Mike Pelfrey
Game Preview
Nationals (56-89) at New York (81-63)
Last night, Manny Acta's team showed they don't quit and won't let a team with more talented players and a higher payroll bully them.
The Nationals' trailed 2-0 and tied the game on Cristian Guzman's two-run homer. They fell behind 5-2 after three innings, only to put together six straight hits in the fourth and take a 7-5 lead.
Reliever Marco Estrada couldn't hold the two-run advantage, allowing the Mets to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Leading 8-7 in the sixth, Charlie Manning gave up a two-run home run to Carlos Beltran and a solo shot to Carlos Delgado, his second of the night and Washington lost 10-8.
Tonight is the last game the Nationals will ever play at Shea Stadium. New York moves into the brand new Citi Field next year. The Expos/Nationals franchise has gone 160-178 all-time at Shea, including 19-16 since moving to DC in 2005.
Odalis Perez looks to go over .500 at Shea in his career while Mike Pelfrey tries to break a two-game winless skid.
Pitching Match-Up
LHP Odalis Perez (6-10, 4.19) was pretty good in his last start, but he got a no-decision in the Nationals' 9-7 win over the Phillies on September 3rd at Nationals Park.
Perez gave up three runs on four hits in five innings, but he needed 93 pitches to get thru the five frames. Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer off the veteran lefty in the first and Chase Utley tripled home a run in the third to give the Phils a 3-2 lead.
Odalis is making his fourth start against New York this season and third at Shea Stadium. He's 1-1 with a 4.42 ERA and 1-1 with a 4.38 in NY.
On August 12th, Perez and Johan Santana battled each other pitch for pitch, but the bullpen gave up a run in the eighth and the Nationals lost 4-3. Perez, who gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings, got a no-decision.
In his career vs. New York, Perez is 5-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 19 games, 12 starts. At Shea Stadium, he is 3-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 games, six starts.
RHP Mike Pelfrey (13-9, 3.62), who won three straight starts from August 15-25, is winless in his last two, but he's been lights out in all five outings. All five games have been quality starts for the right-hander, giving up just eight earned runs in 38 2/3 innings; a 1.86 ERA.
Pelfrey has two starts against the Nationals' this season and he has dominated both games, but has only one win. The 24-year old has allowed just one run in 14 2/3 innings.
In his last start, May 15th at Shea Stadium, Felipe Lopez's sac fly in the eighth was the difference in the Nationals' 1-0 win. Pelfrey gave up three hits and walked three on the night.
Pelfrey's first start was even better. He scattered five his in seven scoreless innings as the Mets shutout Washington 6-0.
This is Pelfrey's 17th start at home this season. He's 8-6 with a 2.66 ERA. In six career starts vs. the Nationals' Pelfrey is 2-2 with a 3.65 ERA.
BirdBrain,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. What Dukes did the other night was not only unprofessional, but immature. I know Manny Acta has had a few closed door meetings with Elijah about these types of things, but I'm not sure he listens. He's only 24 but that's not an excuse. He needs to grow-up! It's probably one, if not the only reason, the Rays wanted him out of town. GM Jim Bowden likes "projects" like Dukes. Hopefully Elijah can move past this and continue to play well. He has a ton of talent and should put up some big numbers, if he can stay away from the negative actions.
Pete,
Why is it every time I watch the Nats, they seem to do something unprofessional. First, it was Belliard spitting in Sherrill's direction after the game-winning homer. Then I saw Milledge trot after a ball he misplayed. Tonight, Dukes is acting ridiculously. What's with this team? I usually watch the Orioles. Yes, they stink. Again. At least they don't act unprofessionally on a regular basis.