Nationals can't deliver big hits in 3-1 loss to Mets

NEW YORK - Unable to convert countless opportunities with men on base, or keep the Mets from delivering themselves in clutch situations, the Nationals took a 3-1 loss tonight at Citi Field to momentarily halt the expansion of their hefty division lead.

The Mets got a big two-run single from Curtis Granderson off Tanner Roark, added another insurance run later and rode their pitching staff to victory. In the process, they reduced the Nationals' cushion in the National League East to 9 1/2 games, with 27 to play.

Roark was uncharacteristically wild from the outset, walking the game's first batter and throwing seven of his first eight pitches for balls. He managed to battle through it and keep the damage to a minimum, but it was an uphill battle throughout for the right-hander.

Two of Roark's four walks came with two outs in the bottom of the third, one unintentional (to Jose Reyes), one intentional (to Yoenis Cespedes). The latter loaded the bases for Granderson, owner of zero hits in his last 22 at-bats with runners in scoring position. It was the correct percentage play, but it still backfired when Granderson lined the first pitch he saw to right field for a two-run single.

That hit left the Nationals staring at a 2-1 deficit, the first time they had trailed in any of their five games to date on this road trip.

The deficit extended to 3-1 in the sixth after Matt Belisle surrendered back-to-back, two-out hits to Travis d'Arnaud and James Loney.

The Nationals had no shortage of opportunities to do damage at the plate themselves, but they could not take full advantage of them.

They loaded the bases in the top of the first but managed only one run (via Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly). They proceeded to put at least one batter on base in every subsequent inning through the seventh yet couldn't deliver.

Their best chance came in the sixth, when they had two on with nobody out in what at that time remained a 2-1 game. Ryan Zimmerman (who singled in his previous two at-bats) grounded out weakly to the pitcher, Danny Espinosa struck out and Ben Revere (pinch-hitting for Roark) grounded out to second, leaving the Nationals 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.