Nationals drop second straight (plus series) to Mets 5-1

NEW YORK - Reynaldo Lopez still doesn't look quite ready for the big stage. The Nationals lineup, meanwhile, looked lost with runners in scoring position this weekend.

Lopez labored again tonight against a quality opponent, lasting only four innings in a nationally televised Sunday night game against the Mets. Fellow rookie right-hander Seth Lugo had no such stage fright in mowing down the Nationals over seven strong innings en route to New York's 5-1 victory at Citi Field.

With a chance to put an end to any last-ditch hopes the Mets have of catching them in the National League East, the Nationals instead dropped two of three here. They still lead the division by a healthy 8 1/2 games with 26 to play, but New York (which has won 11 of its last 15) has propelled itself back into the thick of the wide-open wild card race, now trailing St. Louis by one game for the league's final postseason berth.

The last two games both were there for the taking, but the Nationals were done in by a complete lack of clutch hitting. After going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position during Saturday night's 3-1 loss, they went 0-for-8 tonight despite opportunities against an unproven opposing pitcher.

Both rookie starters labored early in this game. Only one managed to right the ship.

The Nationals loaded the bases in the top of the first against Lugo, only to leave them stranded after making the right-hander throw 28 pitches. Danny Espinosa did take Lugo deep into the second deck down the right field line in the top of the second for his 21st homer of the season, but that represented the Nats' entire offensive output for most of the night.

Lopez, meanwhile, got himself into a first-inning jam via a walk, a single and two wild pitches. The rookie minimized the damage to one run, but he was fighting an uphill battle all night, unable to get ahead in the count with his fastball.

The Mets made Lopez pay again in the bottom of the third when Curtis Granderson belted a two-run homer to right. And though he made it through a quick, 1-2-3 fourth, the right-hander was pulled for a pinch-hitter, his pitch count at a whopping 85.

Lopez has now made six big league starts, but he has yet to prove he can pitch well - or even complete five innings - against anyone other than the Braves (the source of his only two wins).

Mat Latos, recently promoted from Triple-A Syracuse, made his first big league appearance since June 7 with the White Sox in relief of Lopez. The veteran right-hander showed off increased velocity (a 96 mph fastball) during a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, but he couldn't sustain it in the bottom of the sixth, serving up a two-run homer to Jay Bruce that left the Nationals in a 5-1 hole.