Mets use late rallies, Pete Alonso's doubles to beat Nationals again
Michael Conforto and Pete Alonso of the Mets celebrate after scoring on an RBI double by Wilson Ramos in the first inning against the Nationals at Nationals Park on Saturday in Washington. Credit: Getty Images/Patrick McDermott
WASHINGTON — All you needed to know — or hear — to get a sense of how the Mets’ 11-8 win against the Nationals was going Saturday was the chants from the stands.
When the Mets jumped ahead with a three-run first inning, the Nationals Park crowd celebrated: “Let's go Mets.”
When Jeff McNeil batted in the ninth, a collection of fans in the leftfield corner shouted: “J-E-F-F, Jeff, Jeff, Jeff.”
When McNeil came through with an RBI double, his fourth hit of the game, they taunted the remaining Nationals supporters: “Where is [Bryce] Harper?”
Harper is in Philadelphia, where the Mets will see him for the first time with his new team April 15-17. For now, the Mets are in D.C., cruising through a season-opening weekend with two wins in two games before a getaway day matinee Sunday.
McNeil and Pete Alonso (3-for-4, two doubles, two RBIs) were the offensive stars, but the contributions from all over the Mets’ roster were striking.
Dominic Smith, seemingly relegated for now to late-inning defensive replacement for Alonso and pinch-hitter, went 1-for-2 with two RBIs in just two innings of work. J.D. Davis, who had an up-and-down day defensively in his first game with the Mets, had a two-run single in the eighth to snap a tie. Justin Wilson tossed a scoreless seventh, his team debut. Michael Conforto and Wilson Ramos (two-run double in the first) each had a pair of hits.
It wasn’t all pretty for the Mets. After their big rallies in the top of the eighth and ninth innings, Jeurys Familia and Seth Lugo had trouble putting the Nats away, causing closer Edwin Diaz to have to enter for the final out. He got Kurt Suzuki to fly out to McNeil in leftfield on his first pitch.
Noah Syndergaard was mediocre in his first start of the year. He allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking none.
