Peterson, Nimmo Lead Mets to Sweep Over Nats
Caution: Objects in the mirror may seem closer than they appear.
That’s more or less the situation with the Mets and the National League wild card. They defeated the Nats 7-0 on Thursday, securing a sweep at home and taking sole possession of the third wild card over the Padres.
What the team has done, and what they’ve accomplished since their infamous team meeting on May 30 is spectacular. And the mere fact the team is back in a wild card spot on July 11 is amazing.
Jul 11, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) scores a run under the tag by Washington Nationals catcher Riley Adams (15) during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The win that brought the Mets into a playoff spot was off the backs of two lefties. David Peterson provided a strong performance on the mound, pitching six scoreless innings with five strikeouts to match MacKenzie Gore‘s initial impressive start.
Meanwhile, Brandon Nimmo provided the thump at the plate. The All-Star snub doubled into the left-center gap, clearing the bases to give the Mets a 3-0 lead they never surrendered.
While the final score displayed an easy 7-0 win over their division rivals, it didn’t come easy. Peterson — despite his third consecutive start against the Nats where he surrendered two runs or less — struggled with base runners the whole day.
Outside the fourth, the Nats reached base against Peterson in every inning. They collected three walks and four hits against the southpaw, and had every opportunity to score.
But Peterson, along with the help of Luis Torrens, showed the mental toughness to houdini his way out of trouble.
In the top of the second, the Nats had runners on first and third with nobody out. But Peterson struck out Trey Lipscomb, Jacob Young, and CJ Abrams to retire the side.
Then after a leadoff walk to Lane Thomas to start the third, Peterson and Torrens connected on a strikeout out of Wood and caught stealing of Thomas to end the threat in the inning.
In total, the Nats left twelve men on base on Thursday. Their troubles scoring were on display again in the top of the eighth and ninth, where they loaded the bases against Danny Young and Adam Ottavino but were unable to score.
But the Mets will take it. The inability to score meant the Mets secured their first shutout of 2024. The 92-game streak to start the season was the longest in franchise history.
And more importantly, the Mets are in a wild-card spot and did it by burying the Nationals. After the win on Thursday, the Mets improved to 8-2 against the Nats this season, and to two games above .500 for the first time since April 22.
Meanwhile, the Nats fell to 42-52, the complete opposite of the Mets who had an identical 38-39 record on June 23.
When all was said and done, the Mets finished the day with a commanding 7-0 win over the Nats. The offense piled on more runs in the fifth, when J.D. Martinez doubled in Nimmo and then later scored on a Pete Alonso single.
The Mets’ other two runs were scored in the seventh. Martinez opened the inning with a single, and later scored on a Mark Vientos single. Harrison Bader drove in Alonso one batter later with a single of his own.
Gore was having a stellar day before the implosion in the fifth. The lefty held the Mets hitless through the first 3 1/3 innings before Martinez doubled. Still, he allowed four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, which was drastically different from his last start against the Mets where he struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings.
Peterson secured his third consecutive start against the Nationals where he’s pitched at least six innings. It was also his first scoreless outing since Sept. 28, 2023, against the Marlins.
Phil Maton made his Mets debut against the Nats on Thursday. The righty looked stellar, needing only 10 pitches for a 1-2-3 inning where he struck out two batters.
Stat of the Game
The Mets held All-Star CJ Abrams hitless in their three-game sweep at home. The Nats’ shortstop went 0-for-10 with one walk. Abrams came into the series slashing .279/.350/.500 with 14 homers.
Player of the Game
Brandon Nimmo broke the ice for the Mets on Thursday. He went 1-for-4, but the one hit was a bases-clearing double to give New York a 3-0 lead.
On Deck
The Mets welcome the Rockies to Queens on Friday to begin a three-game series. Tanner Gordon (7.11 ERA) takes the mound for Colorado and will be opposed by Sean Manaea (3.43 ERA). The game will be televised on SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880.
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