After another late collapse, Nats fall seven games back with 5-3 loss

Stephen Strasburg returned to the mound for the first time since upper back tightness knocked him out of a start against the Marlins on Aug. 30. The right-hander needed just 10 pitches to get through the first, coaxing two popouts and an easy fly ball to center to waste an infield single from Yoenis Cespedes.

With two outs in the first, Bryce Harper belted a 97 mph heater from Mets starter Jacob deGrom over the wall in right for his 35th homer of the year. It was Harper's first hit of this series after going 0-for-8 with four strikeouts and two walks over the previous two games.

The Mets responded in the second when Travis d'Arnaud launched a solo shot to left-center off Strasburg.

Update: Strasburg has retired eight straight since d'Arnaud's home run, including striking out five of the last six batters. His curveball has been sharp through the first four innings.

Harper drilled a double to right-center to start the fourth and then moved to third base on Anthony Rendon's groundout.

Clint Robinson followed with a single slapped to left scoring Harper as the Nats regained the lead.

Update II: Strasburg has limited the Mets to just two hits with d'Arnaud's homer the only damage on the scoreboard. The right-hander has fanned nine with only one walk over six innings.

Update III: Nationals manager Matt Williams stayed with Strasburg to start the eighth with the Nats clinging to a 2-1 lead. The gamble didn't work as Kelly Johnson ripped a game-tying pinch-hit homer to right.

After Strasburg sat down Kirk Nieuwenhuis for his season-high 13th strikeout, Curtis Granderson singled on a line drive to center.

Williams then went to the mound in a sea of boos to yank Strasburg after 103 pitches.

Drew Storen followed Strasburg to the mound to face Yoenis Cespedes. Just like last night, Cespedes won the matchup. Storen's 1-0 slider hung and Cespedes crushed it to deep left-center giving the Mets a 4-2 lead.

Storen managed to finish off the frame. Strasburg allowed three runs on five hits (two homers), with one walk and a season-high 13 strikeouts.

Harper responded in the eighth with a two-out solo homer smacked to the second deck in right off Mets right-hander Tyler Clippard. It was Harper's 36th home run of the year and his ninth career multi-homer of game of his career.

The Mets added another run off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth on Michael Conforto's RBI single.

Update IV: The Nationals went quietly in the ninth, falling 5-3 to the Mets.