Ramos homers, Zimmermann gets 12th win as Nats blank Mets; magic number at four

Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann isn't dominating. He's had to work out of trouble in two of three innings today. But he's through three frames against the Mets and the game is still a scoreless tie.

After a 1-2-3 first, Zimmermann allowed a one-out triple to Wilmer Flores, who got a break when center fielder Denard Span dove and missed his drive to left-center. But Flores was stranded at third when Curtis Granderson flied out to short left and Anthony Recker fanned to end the inning.

In the New York third, Zimmermann had to escape a two-on, one-out situation. He got Juan Lagares to sky to center and Daniel Murphy to pop foul to third.

Through three, Mets lefty Jonathon Niese has given up two hits.

Update: Zimmermann's successful tightrope act continued in the fourth. He loaded the bases with one out before getting Ruben Tejada to line to center and retiring Niese on a foul pop to third. New York has stranded six.

Update II: Another inning, more baserunners and another escape. Zimmermann put runners on first and second with two outs before Flores was retired on a fly to left. That's eight left on base for the Mets in a scoreless tie as we head to the sixth.

Update III: Only one baserunner allowed in the sixth for Zimmermann. We go to the seventh still deadlocked at 0-0.

Update IV: We're scoreless no more. In the seventh, Ian Desmond reached on an infield single and moved to second on Bryce Harper's bunt before Wilson Ramos slammed a two-run homer to right for a 2-0 lead. It's the 10th homer of the season for Ramos.

Update V: Zimmermann is out after 6 2/3 scoreless innings, and Matt Thornton is on for the Nats. Zimmermann allowed six hits, walked one and struck out five. He threw 103 pitches, 74 for strikes.

Update VI: The Nats got an important insurance run in the ninth in a most unconventional way. With runners on the corners and two down, Danny Espinosa broke for second but stopped, trying to get in a rundown on what was supposed to be a delayed double steal. Recker threw through and the Mets had Espinosa in a rundown, but the ball was dropped by Flores on an attempted tag and Ian Desmond scampered home before Espinosa was tagged for the third out.

Drew Storen is on to work the ninth.

Update VII: Storen worked around a pair of pinch-hit singles by Bobby Abreu and Matt den Dekker, and got Lagares to fly out for the third out. The Nationals win 3-0, reducing their magic number to clinch the National League East to five (pending the result of this afternoon's Braves-Rangers game). On to Atlanta.

Update VIII: The Braves fell to the Rangers 10-3, which reduces the Nats' magic number to four. The Nats could clinch the NL East as early as Tuesday in Atlanta.