The New York Mets (32-26) defeated the Washington Nationals (32-23), 3-1, on Thursday at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. With the win, the Mets avoided getting swept in the three-game series and snapped a three-game losing skid.
Neither team could get a run across until the fifth inning. A Lucas Duda two-run home run (10) gave the Mets all the offense they would ultimately need on the day. A Daniel Murphy RBI single provided an insurance run in the seventh inning. Ryan Zimmerman got the only run of the day for Washington on a solo home run (3) against Mets closer Frank Francisco in the ninth inning.
R.A. Dickey (9-1. 2.44 ERA) got the start for the Mets. The knuckleballer picked up his ninth win of the season after going 7 1/3 innings. He allowed no runs and just four hits while striking out eight batters and walking only two. Bobby Parnell, who walked one batter, got a hold for finishing the eighth inning for Dickey. Despite giving up the Zimmerman solo homer in the ninth, Frank Francisco picked up his 15th save of the season. The Nationals got 5 1/3 innings from their starter Chien-Ming Wang (1-2, 5.11 ERA), who gave up two earned runs on eight hits in the loss.
The Mets did not make things easy on themselves on Thursday, leaving 11 men on base and going 2-13 with runners in scoring position. Dickey picked up his fourth win in his last four starts and hasn't given up an earned run in his last three starts.
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