Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor forced a Balk and drove two runs with a double, fellow Puerto Rican Javier Báez and Dominican Jonathan Villar hit homers and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 9-4 on Sunday.
The Mets won two of the three games and took a series for the first time since they swept the Nationals themselves in three games between Aug. 10 and 12.
Josh Bell gave a pair of quadrangulars for Washington and Dominican Juan Soto also flew it. These were the only three unstoppable Nationals in the game.
Lindor set the pattern for the Mets as he danced at third base in the first inning and forced a Balk by Erick Fedde (6-9). It was the first Balk of the season for Washington and the first time the Mets scored via a Balk since March 30, 2019, also against the Nationals.
Báez increased the lead for the Mets with a 444-foot hit, producing two runs, in the fourth inning that put the board 3-2. Villar added a two-run homer to the sixth, a triple and a single, and scored three times.
Pete Alonso propelled with a single between his three hits and Dominic Smith contributed by pushing a run with a single as an emerging hitter.
Tylor Megill (2-3) accepted two runs with a hit – a two-run Bell home run in the fourth inning – gave up three bases per ball and poncho to five in five innings. Four Mets relievers threw an inning each to complete the task of three unstoppable.
Venezuelan Alcides Escobar went 4-0 and his 10-game streak with an unstoppable came to an end.
For the Nationals, the Dominicans Juan Soto 2-1 with two goals and one drive, and Victor Robles 1-0. The Venezuelan Escobar 4-0. The Cuban Yadiel Hernández 3-0.
For the Mets, the Dominican Jonathan Villar 5-3 with three scored and two produced. The Puerto Ricans Lindor 5-1 with a score and two drives, and Báez 4-1 with a score and two pushes.
We recommend: