Costly error, lack of hitting burn Mets in loss to Nationals
Carlos Carrasco is taken out of the game by Mets manager Buck Showalter at the top of the third inning against the Nationals in game played at Citi Field on Sun. Sept. 4, 2022. Credit: Errol Anderson
Jeff McNeil ranged far to his right to field Luis Garcia’s potential inning-ending double- play ball on the backhand. As the Mets’ second baseman started to transfer the ball to his hand for a flip to second, he dropped it for an error.
“Just one of those plays,” McNeil said.
Baseball wisdom says you’re not supposed to give good teams extra outs. The Washington Nationals are not a good team. In fact, they came into the game with the worst record in MLB. But the Nationals turned that error into a four-run third inning.
All of the runs charged to Mets starter Carlos Carrasco in that inning were unearned, but that probably is little consolation to Carrasco or Mets fans.
The Nationals went on to beat the Mets, 7-1, before 31,711 at Citi Field to take two of three in the series. That left the NL East-leading Mets one game ahead of Atlanta.
The Mets, who won 11 of their first 14 meetings with Washington, lost the last two by 7-1 scores. But they get to get right back after it on Monday with an early holiday game in Pittsburgh.
“We play in, what, 17 hours?” manager Buck Showalter said. “Can’t wait to celebrate Labor Day with a 12:35 p.m. game in Pittsburgh.”
Carrasco (13-6, 3.91 ERA) lasted 2 2/3 innings in his first start since Aug. 15. He was on the injured list with a mild left oblique strain. Carrasco gave up five runs (one earned) and six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Showalter said he looked “rusty.” Carrasco said he felt “great” but just didn’t have his usual command.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead two batters into the game on a double by Lane Thomas and an RBI single by Garcia. The Mets tied it in the second on a sacrifice fly by McNeil.
Then McNeil made his game-altering error. After dropping the ball, he slapped it with his glove to Francisco Lindor at second, but Thomas slid in safely.
Joey Meneses followed with a single to load the bases. Carrasco struck out Luke Voit for the second out, but Keibert Ruiz’s two-run single gave the Nationals a 3-1 lead.
Carrasco walked Cesar Hernandez to re-load the bases before Ildemaro Vargas hit the dagger: a two-run single that fell in just under the glove of a diving Mark Canha in leftfield.
Hernandez made it 7-1 in the fifth with a two-run homer into the top deck in right off Trevor Williams.
The Mets’ bats were quiet against Erick Fedde (6-9, 5.08 ERA), who came in with a 5.29 ERA this season and, in his career, was 0-4 with a 5.88 ERA in 15 games (10 starts) against the Mets.
But Fedde allowed one run and four hits with one walk and two strikeouts in six innings.
“I’m always going to give credit to major league pitchers,” Showalter said. “But also, we haven’t scored runs in the area of need.”
The Mets showed signs of life in the seventh when McNeil and Canha led off with singles against reliever Hunter Harvey.
Eduardo Escobar then lofted a drive to left. Hernandez raced in and dropped it, picked it up and threw to third to force McNeil, who was in no man’s land near second base.
To make matters worse, the befuddled Canha went back to first (as incorrectly directed to do by McNeil) before cautiously heading toward second.
“If you know what to do on that play, tell me,” McNeil said. “Nothing we can do.”
Vargas, the third baseman, ran the ball to second, where he unnecessarily tagged McNeil (who already was out) and then tagged Canha for the unusual 7-5-5 double play.
“Nobody’s fault,” Showalter said. “Other than the leftfielder . . . it’s just a play where the defense gets rewarded for a bad play.”
Said McNeil, again: “Just one of those plays.”
And one of those days — again — for the Mets.
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
