NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Quintana extended his scoreless streak to a career-high 22 2/3 innings and Brandon Nimmo’s three-run homer capped a nine-run fourth as the surging New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 10-0 on Wednesday night to finish a three-game sweep.
Luisangel Acuña homered again for the Mets (84-68), who moved a season-high 16 games above .500 and stayed tied with Arizona for the second of three NL wild cards — two games ahead of Atlanta for the league’s last playoff spot.
Acuña, Mark Vientos and Starling Marte each drove in two runs as the Mets followed a 10-1 victory Tuesday night with another blowout of Washington. New York finished 11-2 against the Nationals this season, its best record against one opponent since going 10-1 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.
Quintana (10-9) allowed two hits, walked two and struck out four in seven innings to complete his season-long dominance of the Nationals, whom he blanked over 21 innings in three starts. He is the first Mets pitcher to throw more than 13 scoreless innings against the Expos/Nationals franchise in a single season.
Quintana hasn’t allowed a run since the third inning against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 31. His previous career-best scoreless streak was 20 2/3 innings in 2014.
The veteran left-hander has won four straight outings and permitted one earned run in 32 innings over his last five starts for a 0.28 ERA during that stretch.
The Mets sent 12 batters to the plate against DJ Herz (4-8) and Jacob Barnes in the fourth, when they had their biggest inning since a a nine-run fourth against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sept. 11, 2020. Tyrone Taylor opened the scoring with an RBI double and Vientos — mired in 0-for-15 and 3-for-39 slumps — laced a two-run single before Acuña and Marte had run-scoring hits.
Nimmo followed Marte by hitting his second homer since Aug. 20, a 419-foot drive into the Nationals’ bullpen in right-center field.
Acuña homered in the eighth — his second in two nights. A younger brother of reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is 7 for 15 in his first five big league games.
CJ Abrams had two of the Nationals’ three hits. Herz allowed seven runs in 3 1/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: 2B Luis García Jr. (right wrist) didn’t play. He exited Tuesday’s game in the fourth inning after aggravating a chronic injury. … RHP Trevor Williams (flexor strain) is expected to come off the 60-day injured list and start Friday against the Chicago Cubs. Williams last pitched on May 30.
Mets: SS Francisco Lindor (sore back) missed his third straight game but played catch and ran Wednesday afternoon. … Rookie RHP Christian Scott (right elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery with an internal brace added next week and will likely be out until 2026. Scott was 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA in nine starts before being injured in his final start July 21. … RHP Kodai Senga (left calf), eligible to come off the 60-day injured list next Wednesday, plans to pitch for Triple-A Syracuse this weekend and could still pitch as an opener for the Mets over the final five days of the regular season. … RHP Paul Blackburn (spinal leak in back) threw for the first time since making a rehab start Sept. 3 and hopes to pitch for the Mets next week. … INF Brett Baty (broken left index finger) went 0 for 4 with Syracuse in his first game action since Aug. 22. New York manager Carlos Mendoza said Baty could be a candidate for a recall by the Mets.
UP NEXT
Nationals: Continue their final road trip Thursday, when LHP Patrick Corbin (6-13, 5.45 ERA) opens a four-game series against RHP Javier Assad (7-5, 3.27) and the Chicago Cubs.
Mets: RHP Luis Severino (10-6, 3.77 ERA) starts Thursday night in the opener of a pivotal four-game series against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who counter with ex-Mets RHP Taijuan Walker (3-6, 6.29).
