The New York Mets overcame a quiet first five innings to rally for a 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night at Citi Field. New York improved to 54-69 and has now won seven of its last 10 games.
The Mets managed only one hit through the first five innings, while an error by Francisco Lindor in the third allowed CJ Abrams to score the game’s opening run.
Lindor quickly made amends in the sixth, launching a solo homer to left field off Andrew Alvarez to even the score. It was his 12th homer of the season and fourth from the right side of the plate.
New York took the lead later in the inning. Bo Bichette reached on a strikeout and wild pitch before Luis Robert Jr. singled. Carson Benge followed with an RBI hit to put the Mets ahead 2-1.
Robert Stock provided a much-needed bounce-back performance after his rough outing against Pittsburgh. The veteran right-hander allowed just one unearned run on three hits, striking out five and walking three over 4.1 innings.
The bullpen kept Washington in check, with Nate Lavender, Jonathan Pintaro, and Daniel Duarte combining for 3.2 scoreless innings.
Jared Young gave New York some breathing room in the seventh, crushing a 408-foot solo homer to right. Bichette added another run with an RBI single later in the inning.
Kodai Senga worked around trouble in the ninth to secure his second career save, finishing the game with a strikeout of Abimelec Ortiz on his signature forkball.
The Mets continue their series against the Nationals on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. Sean Manaea (4-5, 4.13 ERA) will start for New York, while Washington has yet to announce its starter.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.