Pudge Powers Nationals Past Mets 7-3 In 11 Innings
NEW YORK (AP) - Ivan Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 11th inning and the Washington Nationals rallied late to beat the New York Mets 7-3 Sunday.
Laynce Nix followed with a three-run homer off Blaine Boyer (0-2), the Mets' fifth reliever.
Rodriguez's hit got past second baseman Daniel Murphy, who pinch hit for Brad Emaus in the ninth after the Mets' bullpen blew a 3-1 lead in the eighth. Right fielder Lucas Duda, whose misplay of a flyball in the eighth led to the tying runs, scooped up the ball, but his throw to the plate was inaccurate and pinch-runner Wilson Ramos scored easily.
Drew Storen (1-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for Washington, which salvaged a 3-3 road trip and took two of three from the Mets, who wasted another fine start by Chris Young.
After Young allowed one run and one hit in seven innings, the Nationals tied it against the bullpen in the eighth. An outfield gaffe turned the game around for the second game in a row.
Duda misjudged Rodriguez's flyball that started the eighth. He sprinted toward center, but the ball sailed over his head. Rodriguez wound up with a leadoff double against D.J. Carrasco, who then walked pinch-hitter Matt Stairs with one out and gave up an RBI single to Ian Desmond before Rick Ankiel's grounder to second tied the game at 3.
Taylor Buchholz gave up two walks and loaded the bases before striking out Michael Morse to end the inning without further damage.
The Mets' bullpen walked 11 in the series.
The night before, Jerry Hairston Jr. muffed a fly to left-center in the sixth inning, opening the door to a go-ahead triple by Ike Davis. On Sunday, the Mets repaid the favor.
Young looked right at home in Citi Field's wide-open spaces, getting 15 of his 21 outs on fly balls. The only groundout he allowed was Rodriguez's RBI to second base in the second inning.
Davis got his 10th RBI, and Jose Reyes reached base in the first inning for the ninth straight game.
Jason Marquis struck out nine in six innings, allowing seven hits and three runs.
Adam LaRoche began the second inning with a walk and Michael Morse followed with a single to left, but Young retired 18 of the next 19 batters.
Against Philadelphia last week, the big righty struck out seven and allowed one run in 5 1-3 innings in his Mets debut.
The Mets went up 2-0 in the first on RBI singles by David Wright and Angel Pagan. Davis added a broken-bat single in the fifth.
NOTES: The Mets struck out 17 times in the game. ... No Nationals pitcher has gone fewer than five innings yet this season, in nine games. Marquis retired nine straight between Reyes' single in the third and Willie Harris' in the fifth. Stairs drew his fourth walk in six ABs with Washington as a pinch-hitter. The Mets struck out 17 times one day after they whiffed 10 times. Buchholz walked three batters in 2-3 of an inning. Washington 3B Ryan Zimmerman sat out. He apparently aggravated an injury in Saturday night's game. Alex Cora played in his place. Carlos Beltran, who homered twice for New York the night before, pinch-hit in the ninth. His groundout to second ended the ninth. LaRoche left hurt in the 11th after reaching second base. Ramos, the backup catcher, ran for him.
