Harrison Bader had two hits, including a two-run homer, David Peterson pitched into the seventh inning and the visiting New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Tuesday.
Pete Alonso had a solo homer and a single for the Mets, who have won the first two games of the three-game series.
Peterson (1-0) was making his second start in his return from offseason hip surgery. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Washington left-hander DJ Herz (0-1) was called up to make the start after Trevor Williams was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm flexor muscle strain. Herz, 23, gave up four runs on seven hits over four-plus innings in his major league debut. He struck out three and walked two.
Jacob Young had three hits and drove in two runs for the Nationals, and Jesse Winker scored three runs. CJ Abrams went 1-for-4 in his return after missing three games due to a shoulder issue.
Winker walked against Reed Garrett leading off the ninth and scored on Young’s two-out single. After Abrams walked, Lane Thomas, representing the potential tying run, flied to short right to end it.
Francisco Lindor greeted Herz with a leadoff double in the first, but the rookie struck out Alonso and retired Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Martinez on grounders.
In the New York fourth, Starling Marte opened with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. With one out, Bader fouled off two 1-2 pitches and then homered to center to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Herz was lifted after Alonso and Nimmo opened the fifth inning with singles. Derek Law struck out Martinez, but Marte tripled into the right field corner and the Mets led 4-0. Mark Vientos flied to left, scoring Marte to make it 5-0.
The Nationals got one back in the fifth when Winker singled, went to second on a groundout and scored when Young singled to right.
Winker was hit by a pitch leading off the eighth, stole second and scored when Joey Gallo’s grounder deflected off the first base bag and into right for a single.
–Field Level Media