Nationals top Mets; Strasburg goes to 12-0
NEW YORK -- Stephen Strasburg completed an unbeaten first half of the season on Friday night when the right-hander allowed one run in seven strong innings as the Washington Nationals beat the New York Mets 3-1 at Citi Field
The Nationals (52-38) won the second game of a four-game series to ensure they will reach the All-Star break with the lead in the National League East.
The Mets (47-39) lost for just the second time in nine games, but it was a costly defeat. Two All-Stars, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and right-handed pitcher Noah Syndergaard, left with injuries. Cespedes exited after the third inning with a strained right quad and Syndergaard left with two outs in the fifth due to arm fatigue.
Clint Robinson hit a two-run homer in the second for the Nationals and Daniel Murphy continued to dominate his former team with an RBI double in the third.
Murphy is batting .409 with five homers and 15 RBIs this season against the Mets, with whom he played the first seven seasons of his career before signing with Washington in December.
Three runs were plenty for Strasburg (12-0), who allowed just two hits and walked three while striking out nine in becoming the first pitcher to reach the All-Star break with at least 10 wins and no losses since Dave McNally went 13-0 for the Baltimore Orioles before the All-Star Game in 1969.
Strasburg, who was lifted after 6 2/3 no-hit innings in his previous start on Sunday, opened Friday night with four no-hit innings before Asdrubal Cabrera led off the fifth with a homer. Brandon Nimmo followed with a single, but Strasburg retired the next eight batters. He walked Nimmo with two outs in the seventh and ended his night by retiring Rene Rivera on a grounder to short.
The Mets threatened in the eighth, when Wilmer Flores led off with a double against Shawn Kelley and Jose Reyes followed with a single. But left-hander Oliver Perez retired Curtis Granderson on a popup to short and right-hander Blake Treinen coaxed Juan Lagares to hit into a 4-6-3 double play.
Jonathan Papelbon posted his 18th save of the season with a perfect ninth.
NOTES: Rain delayed the first pitch by 37 minutes. ... Mets RHP Matt Harvey (thoracic outlet syndrome) will undergo season-ending surgery next week. Harvey, who finished 4-10 with a 4.86 ERA in 17 starts, is expected to resume baseball activities in four months. ... The Nationals recalled OF Michael Taylor and INF Trea Turner from Triple-A Syracuse, placed 1B Ryan Zimmerman (right rib cage strain) on the 15-day disabled list and optioned RHP Lucas Giolito to Syracuse. ... Mets RHP Bartolo Colon and Nationals RHP Max Scherzer were added to the National League All-Star team. The 43-year-old Colon, the oldest player in baseball, will be the oldest All-Star since former Yankees RHP Mariano Rivera made the American League team in 2013. Scherzer replaces his teammate, RHP Stephen Strasburg, who won't pitch in the All-Star Game because he started Friday for the second time since coming off the disabled list.