Mets Struggle in Narrow Defeat to Nationals
In Washington, the Mets faced a setback, losing 5-4 to the Nationals. Despite showing some fight, they couldn’t secure a much-needed win.
The game started rough for the Mets (67-59), who fell behind quickly, thanks to Kodai Senga’s early struggles. They did manage to stage a comeback after trailing by four runs, but the absence of Brandon Nimmo—who exited the game after just two innings—loomed large.
Nimmo’s departure raised concerns. He had made an early mistake, grounding into a double play, but quickly left the game due to what the team described as “Nextiffness.” This is particularly worrisome given Nimmo’s history with neck issues that plagued his 2019 season.
While the team hasn’t provided details on the severity of his condition, losing him alongside Francisco Alvarez—who’s expected to be out for weeks—puts extra pressure on a squad already struggling to find its footing.
Nimmo’s contributions were significant: he had a .761 OPS and 20 home runs this season, making him tough to replace.
Unfortunately for the Mets, Senga couldn’t regain his form. Since returning from the injured list in July, his performance has been shaky at best. With an ERA sitting at 6.00 over his last six outings, he hasn’t been able to deliver like he did earlier in the season.
The beginning of this game was particularly odd. The first two runs scored in a mildly frustrating fashion, yet Senga didn’t have much of an excuse for the next three runs that came across.
In the third inning, the Mets fell further behind. A questionable walk, which many felt should have been a strikeout, coupled with a catcher’s interference situation left them vulnerable. CJ Abrams capitalized, advancing a runner and scoring another with an infield single, adding to Senga’s woes. Joshua Bell then brought in another run with a sacrifice fly.
The Mets’ pitching crumbled as two doubles and a triple allowed the Nationals to score two more runs. Bell really made an impact, hitting a long ball that cleared the centerfield wall.
The Mets responded with some offense, sparked by a powerful home run from Brett Batty, who crushed a pitch 455 feet, marking one of the longest homers of his career.
Following that, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto both walked, allowing Pete Alonso to drive in an RBI double down the right field line. Jeff McNeil also contributed with a double, scoring two more runs and bringing the Mets closer.
Even so, they struggled to capitalize, with Cedric Mullins hitting a flyout that was too shallow to advance any runners. As the game progressed, they failed to generate more momentum, and Carlos Mendoza had relied on solid outings from Tyler Rogers, Gregory Soto, and Reed Garrett in the bullpen, but the offensive push just wasn’t there after the sixth inning.
