Resilient Nats deliver another comeback win to take series

The Nationals were four outs from having their National League East lead chopped to one game when an improbable rally ensued, resulting in a stunning 4-3 comeback win over the Mets.

There wasn't a whole lot for the soldout crowd of 41,291 to cheer about at Nationals Park for much of the day, especially after watching Yunel Escobar, the Nats' second-leading hitter, exit the game with a left wrist injury in the second inning.

The Nationals found themselves down 3-1 in the eighth when Ian Desmond drew a one-out walk. Matt den Dekker, who the Nats acquired from the Mets in the final week of spring training, followed with a single to center. After Tyler Moore lined out to left, rookie Michael A. Taylor stepped to the plate.

Mets right-hander Bobby Parnell uncorked a wild pitch in the dirt, and some alert baserunning suddenly gave the Nationals the tying run in scoring position. Taylor then did his part, smacking a clutch two-out, two-run single to left to even the score.

With Danny Espinosa at the plate, Taylor took off for second, sliding in safely. After the game, Espinosa said that he was looking fastball all the way and Parnell obliged. Espinosa sliced the 93 mph heater down the left field line for a double, plating Taylor for the go-ahead run.

"I think we trust everybody that's on this team," Espinosa said. "I don't think there was any panic there. Anyone on this team can get the job done. I think we were all right and we were just (saying), 'Move to the next guy and keep on grinding.'"

Despite helping to save a win for the Nationals with his dazzling defense in the first game of the series, Taylor had been slumping badly. He stepped up to the plate in the fourth inning with only one hit in his last 25 at-bats. But the 24-year-old delivered a two-out single to left-center to score Desmond for the Nationals' first run of the afternoon.

"Michael has been kind of going through it the last couple games but, (he showed) a lot of perseverance," Desmond said. "That's what it's all about. We got a team built on character guys and today was a perfect example of that. It was a well-played game by us today."

The Nationals have struggled scoring runs since returning from the All-Star break, partly due to the ultra-impressive lineup of pitchers they've faced. They left 11 runners stranded on base before the burst in the eighth.

"The fact that we had a chance to come back in this game shows that we don't give up," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "We create opportunities for ourselves and we can come through. If we don't have those 11 runners, then we can't strand them. That's a good sign for us that we have guys on the basepaths. That's what we want."

Taylor, Espinosa and den Dekker all weren't expected to factor much in the Nationals' success this year. Not only did they provide a big win today, they allowed for some much needed breathing room in the division.

"Opportunity," Williams said. "That's what they're looking for, the opportunity to show us and everybody else what they can do. They've stepped up. It wasn't the plan, for sure, but nonetheless they've contributed and we're at where we're at."