Nats beat Mets while they're down (updated)

NEW YORK – There haven’t been many days in the last two years when the Nationals could compare themselves to the Mets and feel better about their own situation than their division counterparts. And there may not be many more days in the near future when that will be the case.

But on this day, July 29, 2023, it was impossible for the guys in the visitors’ dugout at Citi Field to look across the way and believe the grass was any greener over there.

Hours after watching the Mets consummate a haphazard deal that will send Max Scherzer (and a boatload of money) to the Rangers for Ronald Acuña Jr.’s younger brother, the Nationals proceeded to beat up on their hosts and the fans who waited out yet another rain delay, pouring salt in their wounds during an 11-6 thumping.

Make no mistake, the Mets are still ahead of the Nationals in the NL East by 5 1/2 games. And they are going to be motivated to go all-in on trying to win the World Series title that has eluded them since 1986 once again next year. But forgive anybody wearing a curly W cap tonight for feeling even a twinge of schadenfreude given the events of the last 48 hours.

"You're always surprised when, especially a team like the Mets that has so many good players, and all of a sudden they decide the trade was imminent with him," manager Davey Martinez said. "I can say to the Rangers that they're getting a quality starter, a guy that's going to go out there and give them everything he's got. He's definitely going to help Texas. As you all know, I love Max. He's done some unbelievable things for us here in D.C., and I wish him well. I'm glad we don't have to face him again."

The Mets, who entered the season with the highest payroll in baseball history, already had signaled they were giving up on 2023 when they traded closer David Robertson during Thursday night’s rain delay. But today’s trade of Scherzer to Texas was the true waving of the white flag, a new wrinkle in the suddenly winding career of the former Nats ace.

Scherzer, who two years ago Sunday was traded from the Nationals to the Dodgers in the transaction that kicked off the franchise’s roster teardown and rebuild, is now about to pitch for his third different franchise since then. And the Mets reportedly will be paying him $35 million of the $57.5 million he’s still owed not to pitch for them anymore.

"I know the Mets aren't having the season that they thought they would," said Patrick Corbin, Scherzer's rotation mate for 2 1/2 seasons. "Things like that happen. Max is still a really good pitcher. I think he's excited to head to a ballclub that is trying to win a World Series. And I think at this point in his career – in a lot of people's career – their goal is to win a World Series. I'm happy for him."

So the crowd of 30,858 already had reason to be miserable when tonight’s game started, even more so because it started 1 hour, 20 minutes later than originally scheduled due to a quick-but-mighty storm that blew through the area between roughly 7:30-7:45 p.m.

Then the Nationals scored four runs in the top of the first, exceeding their total from innings 1-6 of their previous five games, and the natives really grew restless.

CJ Abrams reached on a Mark Vientos error to begin the night, then four straight teammates delivered singles, with Joey Meneses and Dominic Smith combining to drive in three runs and Stone Garrett adding another on his sacrifice fly.

"That was great," Martinez said. "CJ set the tone just by hustling and beating that out. And then we started swinging the bats."

And they didn’t stop. Jeimer Candelario’s RBI double in the second made it 5-0. Three more hits (plus two walks) led to three more runs in the top of the third, with Riley Adams’ two-run double knocking Carlos Carrasco from the game to a chorus of boos from the assembled masses.

"It definitely kind of frees you up a little bit," Adams said of the early lead. "I wouldn't say you can really relax. With a team like that, with their power abilities, you can never fully relax. But it kind of frees you up as a team. I think everybody starts playing looser, and you can see a little more joy out there." 

This represented the Nationals’ best offensive showing in a while. It also extended a bit of an obscure streak, but nevertheless one of note: They’ve now gone 87 consecutive games without being shut out, the longest streak in club history and tied with the Diamondbacks for the longest streak in the majors this season.

With that much early run support against a demoralized opponent, Corbin should’ve had an easy time of it. Alas, the left-hander still couldn’t provide the quality start that would’ve been so appreciated by his manager.

Corbin was victimized twice by the long ball: Tommy Pham’s leadoff homer in the fourth, then Francisco Lindor’s two-run blast in the fifth. Along with the RBI double he surrendered to Vientos back in the second, the veteran wound up departing having allowed four runs and having failed to complete six innings despite a comfortable lead.

"I think I was just a tad off on some pitches, not really getting ahead inside as well as I'd like to," he said. "Kind of just grinded through as long as I could go. I definitely was attacking them as the game went later. But great defense behind, and obviously to put up those runs early was huge."

That didn’t prove to be a problem, because the Nationals bullpen stepped up and clamped down to finish off the win. Jordan Weems retired all four batters he faced, the last three via strikeout. And though Mason Thompson got a quick hook after allowing two of three batters faced to reach in the eighth, Kyle Finnegan made sure the Nats wouldn't be the ones departing this ballpark with egg on their face by getting out of the jam and then watching as his teammates tacked on three more insurance runs in the ninth.