Nationals 6, Mets 2
Anthony Rendon and Adam LaRoche each belted a two-run homer to help Tanner Roark snap a three-start losing streak as Washington recorded its 12th consecutive victory at Citi Field.
Rendon finished with three hits and LaRoche added an RBI single for the Nationals, who have outscored New York 80-23 in Queens since June 30, 2013. Washington has won 26 of its last 30 visits to Citi Field and moved 8 1/2 games ahead of second-place Atlanta in the National League East.
LaRoche gave the Nationals a 2-0 lead in the first inning by depositing a 3-2 fastball from Bartolo Colon (13-12) off the right-field foul pole for his team-leading 24th homer - and fifth in eight contests. LaRoche increased the advantage with a single to center that plated Jayson Werth before coming home to score on Wilson Ramos' groundout.
Rendon sent an 0-1 fastball over the wall in left in the fourth to stake Washington to a 6-0 lead. Colon promptly hit Werth on the left arm with his next pitch, resulting in immediate ejections of both himself and manager Terry Collins by home plate umpire John Tumpane.
Roark (13-10) yielded Anthony Recker's leadoff homer in the fifth and an RBI single by rookie Dilson Herrera in the seventh before exiting having allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. New York failed to score despite loading the bases in both the seventh and eighth innings as their four-game winning streak came to an end.
GAME NOTEBOOK: LaRoche has homered six times at Citi Field since June 30, 2013. In comparison, New York has gone deep on six occasions against Washington in that stretch. ... Colon permitted six runs - five earned - and seven hits in three-plus innings to suffer his fourth straight home loss. ... Mets 3B Daniel Murphy, who injured his wrist when hit by a pitch, went 0-for-3 to see his seven-game hitting streak come to an end.