Rendon Drives In 10, Hits 3 HRs As Nationals Rout Mets 23-5
By HARVEY VALENTINE, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon said he'd never had a day like this one.
Not many players have.
Rendon had 10 RBIs, three home runs and six hits as Washington took advantage of Noah Syndergaard's injury and mauled the New York Mets 23-5 on Sunday to set a franchise scoring record.
Rendon went a career-best 6 for 6 and scored five times while breaking the club mark for RBIs. He became the 13th player in major league history to drive in 10 or more runs in a game — the first since Garret Anderson did it for the Angels in 2007.
"I may have had three home runs in high school," Rendon said, "but never like that with the RBIs."
Matt Wieters added two homers, a single and two walks as the Nationals salvaged the finale of a three-game series between NL East rivals. Adam Lind and Bryce Harper also homered, and Harper scored four times.
Washington finished with a season-high 23 hits and scored the most runs in the history of the Expos/Nationals franchise. The Nationals' seven homers were their most since the team moved from Montreal to Washington in 2005.
Rendon began the day with no homers and five RBIs this season. After a two-run single in the first, he followed with a solo homer in the third and a three-run shot in the fourth. He ripped a three-run double off the right-center wall in the fifth and nearly had another RBI when he singled in the seventh, but teammate Daniel Murphy held up at third base.
Rendon, who raised his batting average from .226 to .278, capped his incredible day with a solo home run off Mets backup catcher Kevin Plawecki in the eighth. Harper and Lind went deep against Plawecki earlier in the inning.
"You want balance up and down your lineup and you want everyone to get in on the hit parade," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.
It was a miserable day all-around for the Mets, who won the first two games of the series after losing six straight. They gave up 17 consecutive runs after trailing 6-5 in the fourth.
Syndergaard, the team's hard-throwing ace, left in the second inning and was on his way back to New York for an MRI on Monday morning.
"The preliminary diagnosis is possible lat strain," general manager Sandy Alderson said, "which may or may not be related to his previous complaint, which was in the biceps. So we'll just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow."
Syndergaard (1-2) allowed five runs on five hits in the first inning. In the second, he threw a strike to Harper on his 38th pitch and grimaced while reaching for his right armpit. Mets manager Terry Collins and the team trainer immediately came out, and Collins summoned reliever Sean Gilmartin.
Syndergaard was making his first start since April 20. The right-hander was a late scratch from his last scheduled outing Thursday against Atlanta due to right biceps discomfort. But he threw a bullpen Friday, said he felt fine and refused an MRI.
Hours after Washington announced leadoff batter Adam Eaton has a torn knee ligament and is likely done for the season, Michael A. Taylor, Eaton's replacement in center field, had two hits.
Jay Bruce had three hits for New York, including a solo home run. Rene Rivera also homered.
Matt Albers (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
RECORD SETTER
Harper set a major league record for runs in April with 32. He passed Larry Walker, who scored 29 in March/April of 1997.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: Collins doesn't think he'll have 1B Lucas Duda (hyperextended left elbow) back Monday when he's eligible to come off the disabled list. Duda didn't play a rehab game Saturday and Collins said the slugger wasn't scheduled to play Sunday. A team spokesman said Duda felt "slight elbow discomfort on full extension."
Nationals: General manager Mike Rizzo said a date hadn't been set yet for Eaton's surgery.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SUNS
Big-time offensive performances weren't limited to just the parent club.
The Hagerstown Suns, the Nationals' Single-A affiliate, set a South Atlantic League record with 30 hits in a 22-4 rout of the Lexington Legends. Touted shortstop Carter Kieboom went 5 for 7 with three home runs and five RBIs, while first baseman Anderson Franco also drove in five runs.
The teams combined to tie the league record of 42 combined hits, set by Augusta and Kannapolis on June 27, 2010.
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Robert Gsellman (0-2, 6.23 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series Monday at Atlanta. In his last start, Gsellman allowed six runs on 10 hits in four innings of an 8-2 home loss to the Braves.
Nationals: RHP Tanner Roark (3-0, 3.64) makes his sixth start of the season Tuesday night against Arizona.
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