Rookie Gsellman fuels Mets past Nationals
NEW YORK -- Rookie right-hander Robert Gsellman earned his first win as a starter by throwing six solid innings Saturday night as the New York Mets moved closer in the National League wild card race with a 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals at Citi Field.
The Mets (70-66) ended a two-game losing streak and have won 10 of their last 14 to close within a game of the St. Louis Cardinals. New York trailed the Cardinals by 5 1/2 games on Aug. 19.
The NL East-leading Nationals (79-56) had their four-game winning streak snapped, but are 9 1/2 games ahead of the Mets.
Gsellman, making his second big league start and third appearance, allowed the one run on six hits and three walks while striking out four. He didn't have a single 1-2-3 inning but stranded eight baserunners while also picking off Bryce Harper to end the fifth.
The Nationals loaded the bases with one out in the first, but Gsellman limited the damage by getting Anthony Rendon to hit a sacrifice fly and retiring Wilson Ramos on a pop-up. Washington had two on with none out in the sixth, but Gsellman ended his night by getting Ryan Zimmerman to ground out, striking out Danny Espinosa and inducing pinch-hitter Ben Revere to ground to second.
Four pitchers combined to get the final nine outs, with Jeurys Familia notching his 45th save with a perfect ninth inning.
Curtis Granderson gave the Mets the lead with a two-run single in the third. It was his first hit in his last 23 at-bats with runners in scoring position dating to July 24. In addition, Granderson had not collected an RBI with anything other than a homer or a sacrifice fly since July 6.
James Loney added an RBI double in the sixth inning for his first extra-base hit and sixth RBI since Aug. 1.
Right-hander Tanner Roark (14-8) took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out three over five innings.
NOTES: The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by gymnast Laurie Hernandez, who won a gold medal in last month's Olympics in the team all-around. Hernandez, holding the baseball, did a forward flip off the mound before firing a one-hopper to Mets C Rene Rivera. ... RHP Rafael Montero, who is starting for Double-A Binghamton on Saturday, will likely start for the Mets in place of RHP Jacob deGrom (right forearm) against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. ... The Nationals scratched RHP Max Scherzer from his scheduled start Sunday in order to give him an extra day of rest. RHP Reynaldo Lopez will make the start. ... Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy, who spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Mets, singled in the first inning and has a hit in his first 15 games against the Mets, tying a record set by Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.