NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil snapped an eighth-inning tie with an RBI triple and the New York Mets squandered a pair of multi-run leads before recovering to beat the Washington Nationals 9-8 on Thursday night.
The Mets led 4-1 and 6-3 before C.J. Abrams’ grand slam in the top of the eighth gave the Nationals an 8-7 lead. But Starling Marte led off the bottom half with a single against Mason Thompson (2-2).
Marte stole second, went to third on a fly out by Francisco Lindor and trotted home when Pete Alonso split the right-centerfield gap with a double.
McNeil then tripled off the right field wall.
Brooks Raley (1-0) surrendered the grand slam by Abrams but earned the win. David Robertson notched his fifth save with a perfect ninth.
The Mets snapped a four-game losing streak, their longest since a five-game skid from Sept. 16-21, 2021.
Lindor had two doubles and three RBIs, while Alonso had two RBI hits. His sixth-inning single snapped an 0-for-19 slump.
Rookie Brett Baty homered in the fourth and had his first three-hit game for the Mets, who scored nine runs during their losing streak. Mark Canha and Daniel Vogelbach also had RBIs.
Luis Garcia had a pair of RBIs for the Nationals, while Alex Call homered.
Mets starter Joey Lucchesi allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings in his second start of the year following his recovery from Tommy John surgery in June 2021. Nationals starter Trevor Williams surrendered four runs in five innings.
THEY JUST WANNA FLY (OUT)
Lucchesi and Williams served up three fly outs apiece to the warning track on an evening in which the first pitch temperature was 55 degrees.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: IF Ildemaro Vargas (right shoulder) is slated to begin a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Rochester. … Manager Dave Martinez said OF Corey Dickerson (left calf) isn’t close to heading out on rehab.
Mets: RHP Justin Verlander (teres major strain) is scheduled to throw about four innings Friday afternoon for Double-A Binghamton. … RHP Carlos Carrasco (elbow) threw his first bullpen session Thursday since going on the injured list on April 18. … C Francisco Álvarez remained in the game after he was hit in the head by Jeimer Candelario’s backswing during a fifth-inning at-bat.
UP NEXT
Nationals: RHP Chad Kuhl (0-1, 7.36 ERA) will oppose one of his former teams when Washington returns home to open a homestand against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kuhl went 25-30 with a 4.44 ERA for the Pirates from 2016-21.
Mets: LHP David Peterson (1-3, 7.36 ERA) has allowed 21 runs — tied for the fourth-most in the NL — through five starts.
