Mets head west flying high on six-game winning streak

The Mets won on Wednesday, if that qualifies as news anymore after two consecutive shutouts, six consecutive victories, a 35-17 record and a cartoonish lead in the National League East.  

But even on a day on which they dismissed the hapless Nationals with a routine 5-0 victory at Citi Field, they managed to throw in their customary dollops of added drama and contributions from unexpected places.

The centerpieces were the starting battery of Carlos Carrasco and Tomas Nido.

Carrasco (6-1) got the victory with an uneven five innings during which he allowed five walks and four hits, and later counted it as one of the highlights of his 13-year major league career.

That was because his father, Luis, was visiting from Colombia and sitting behind home plate. Carrasco said it was the first time his father saw him pitch in person in the majors.

Carrasco said it was “really emotional” for him during the game and even more so afterward, when Luis was invited into the clubhouse to present his son with a professional wrestling belt the Mets award to stars of games.

“When I saw my dad walking in, it was really emotional for me, man,” he said. “Every time we get the belt we have to dance, so he danced with me. It was really fun – really nice, really special what they the guys did for me.”

Manager Buck Showalter said that after a season of emotional moments, that one stood out. “If that doesn’t tug at your heart,” he said. “That’s a pull.”

Carrasco had to escape from trouble in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and was shown video of his father’s reaction when he struck out Yadiel Hernandez to end the third after walking the bases loaded. Other Mets fans reacted similarly.

Nido insisted afterward that he was more concerned about the shutout than his career-high four hits, but it was a huge offensive day for a catcher who came in batting .215 with six RBIs. Nido drove in three of the five Mets runs.

“It was good to see him get a return for the work he’s been putting in,” Showalter said. “I know, kind of privately, it's frustrating for him. because he knows he's capable of better.”

The Mets lead Atlanta by 10 ½ games in the National League East after both teams won on Wednesday.The Mets’ 10 ½-game edge entering June tied the 1971 Giants for the largest first-place margin entering that month in National League history.

It was the Mets first undefeated homestand of six or more games since 2015.

The Nationals (18-34) looked as bad as their record suggests, with seven pitchers combining to give up five walks and throw three wild pitches. They left  11 runners on base, made a run-costing error and misplayed three other balls that were not officially errors.

The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the fourth against Washington starter Evan Lee, who was making his major league debut, on a run-scoring single by Nido that centerfielder Dee Strange-Gordon misplayed, allowing a second run to score.

Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly in the seventh made it 3-0 – extending his RBI streak to 10 games – then Nido added a two-run double in the eighth to complete the scoring.

Now the road gets more difficult, with visits to the Dodgers, Padres and Angels next on the agenda. But the Mets are on a roll.

“We knew that this team is built to win,” Nido said. “From Day One, everybody's put in the work. Everybody feeds off each other. Everybody is trying to help each other out.

“Whether you're leading off, hitting last, playing, not playing, everybody's got the same mindset. So I think it's a collective work here.”

It always seems to be with these Mets.

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.