MacKenzie Gore struck out 10 in six solid innings and Jeimer Candelario homered Wednesday night for the visiting Washington Nationals, who beat the New York Mets 4-1.
Lane Thomas, CJ Abrams and Alex Call all had RBI singles for the Nationals, who have won four of five. Starling Marte laced a run-scoring single for the Mets, who have dropped four consecutive games.
Gore (3-1) allowed one run on four hits and two walks. It was his third career game with 10 strikeouts and the first since the Nationals acquired him from the San Diego Padres last Aug. 2.
The Nationals built a 2-0 lead in the second, when their first four batters reached base against Kodai Senga (3-1). Keibert Ruiz drew a leadoff walk, went to third on a double by Dominic Smith and scored on Thomas' slow-rolling single to third base. Smith, who had to stay at second on Thomas' hit, scored on Abrams' single.
The Mets cut the lead in half in the third. Eduardo Escobar led off by tripling beyond the glove of Thomas in right field and scored on Marte's two-out single.
Candelario, in his first season with the Nationals after spending six seasons with the Detroit Tigers, hit his fourth homer of the year with one out in the seventh off Jeff Brigham.
The Mets stranded two runners against Hunter Harvey in the bottom of the seventh before the Nationals added an insurance run in the eighth. Victor Robles walked with two outs, went to second on a throwing error by pitcher Adam Ottavino and stole third before scoring on Call's hit.
Kyle Finnegan, the Nationals' fourth pitcher, recorded his fifth save by tossing a 1-2-3 ninth.
Abrams had two hits while Robles stole two bases.
Jeff McNeil had two hits and drew a walk for the Mets.
Senga allowed two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out seven in five innings.
--Field Level Media