Mets 11, Nationals 0 (Game 1)
Mets 11, Nationals 0: Jenrry Mejia struck out a career-high seven over seven scoreless innings in his season debut and Daniel Murphy homered twice as visiting New York won the opener of the day-night doubleheader.
The 23-year-old Mejia (1-0), activated from the 60-day disabled list Friday, allowed seven hits - all singles - in his first major-league start since Sept. 30, 2012. He retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced as the Mets pulled within a game of third-place Washington in the National League East.
Murphy provided all the offense Mejia needed with four hits and a career high-tying five RBIs, including a towering solo homer in the first inning and a two-run blast in the third. Juan Lagares added three hits, scored three times and had an RBI single and Ike Davis swatted a three-run homer to cap a six-run ninth for New York.
Jordan Zimmermann (12-6) lost his third consecutive start, giving up five runs on six innings while striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings as Washington fell for the seventh time in eight games. It was also the second straight home defeat for Zimmermann, who had won 14 straight decisions at Nationals Park before getting rocked by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
Murphy put the Mets ahead two batters into the game with a blast off the facing of the second deck in right-center before golfing a shot down the right-field line in the third for a 3-0 lead. New York chased Zimmerman during a two-run sixth when Anthony Recker doubled and scored on Lagares' bouncer up the middle.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Murphy's first-inning blast was estimated at 444 feet, the longest at Nationals Park this year and the longest of his career. ... Steve Lombardozzi and Ryan Zimmerman collected two hits apiece for the Nationals, who had five of their eight hits through the first three innings. ... Mets 3B David Wright recorded his fifth two-hit game in his last eight as the top three batters in the order combined to go 9-for-14 with seven runs and seven RBIs.