Offense keeps rolling as Nats hand Mets first home loss in 8-2 win

Flushing, N.Y. - Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg has labored through the first two innings tonight. He has already racked up 52 pitches. The Mets turned a pair of doubles from shortstop Wilmer Flores and catcher Kevin Plawecki into the game's first run in the second. Two batters later, right fielder Curtis Granderson followed with an RBI single, which left Strasburg and the Nats in a quick 2-0 hole.

Mets starter Jacob deGrom is perfect through the first three innings with three strikeouts. One of his victims was right fielder Bryce Harper, who has now whiffed a staggering 30 times in 74 at-bats this season.

Update: deGrom walked center fielder Denard Span to start the fourth. Third baseman Yunel Escobar then hit a tailor-made double play grounder that Flores booted, leaving runners at first and second. Left fielder Jayson Werth came through with a base hit to left, scoring Span. Harper walked again to load the bases, which set up a deep sacrifice fly from first baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Not only did Escobar score easily, but Werth and Harper also picked up a base.

It would pay off as Werth would cross the plate on catcher Wilson Ramos' ground out.

Overall, the Nats have scored three runs on one base hit.

Strasburg settled down and has now retired 10 straight batters heading to the sixth. He's allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Update II: The Nats added two more runs in the sixth. Escobar started with a line drive single and Harper doubled down the right field line. Zimmerman picked up his second RBI of the game on an infield hit that Flores had to eat.

Ramos followed, matching Zimmerman by driving in his second run on a typical base hit up the middle, which also ended deGrom's night.

Nationals manager Matt Williams yanked Strasburg after Mets first baseman Lucas Duda and left fielder Michael Cuddyer opened up the sixth with back-to-back singles.

Righty Aaron Barrett entered the game with one out and runners at the corners and calmy pitched the Nats out of the jam.

Strasburg gave up two runs on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. He threw exactly 100 pitches.

Span left the game after the fifth for unknown reasons. He was 0-for-2 with a walk before exiting. Rookie Michael A. Taylor, who was recalled yesterday, replaced Span. Taylor struck out swinging in the seventh in his first at-bat since rejoining the Nats.

Update III: Rookie Sammy Solis made his major league debut when he entered to start the seventh. The lefty was impressive allowing just one with one strikeout in two scoreless innings of relief.

Harper added a bases-clearing, three-run double in the ninth as the Nats went on to win their third straight game 8-2.

The loss is the Mets' first at Citi Field this season.