Wild Pitch Gives Nationals 5-4 Win Over Mets
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pedro Beato threw a wild pitch with the bases loaded in the 10th inning that allowed the winning run to score, and the Washington Nationals beat the New York Mets 5-4 after blowing a late lead Tuesday night.
The Nationals fell behind twice after leading 2-0 going into the ninth inning. Mets pinch-hitter Jordany Valdespin hit a three-run homer off closer Tyler Clippard. Then Josh Thole's RBI double put the Mets up 4-3 in the 10th after Danny Espinosa's single off Bobby Parnell in the bottom of the ninth sent it to extra innings.
Bryce Harper tied it in the 10th with a run-scoring triple off Tim Byrdak (2-1) before Beato entered with the bases loaded.
Jhonatan Solano led off the 10th with a single. Steve Lombardozzi bunted him to second. Harper tripled to right off Tim Byrdak (2-1) to tie it. Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond were walked intentionally to load the bases. Adam LaRoche grounded to first baseman Ike Davis, who threw home to force Harper for the second out.
Beato came on to face Tyler Moore, and bounced a 2-2 pitch in the dirt. Thole, the catcher, wasn't able to reach the ball in time, and Zimmerman scored standing up.
The loss was the fifth in a row for New York.
Ryan Mattheus (3-1), Washington's fifth pitcher, retired the only batter he faced in the 10th for the win.
Moore hit a fifth-inning home run and Lombardozzi had an eighth-inning RBI double for Washington to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead
Clippard started the ninth by allowing singles to the first two hitters, Thole and David Wright. After he struck out Scott Hairston, Valdespin hit a 1-2 pitch just over the scoreboard in right-center field his fifth of the season. In May, Valdepsin had a three-run, pinch-hit homer in the ninth against the Phillies for his first big league hit.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson questioned the call and after a review, it was declared a home run.
In the bottom of the ninth, Michael Morse and LaRoche singled off Parnell. Desmond pinch-ran for Morse, and with two outs, scored on Espinosa's RBI single.
Starter Ross Detwiler gave up five hits, struck out four and walked none in seven innings -- his longest appearance of the year. He was taken out of the starting rotation for a month in favor of Chien Ming-Wang, but returned on June 24.
The Nationals had only three hits off New York starter Jonathon Niese, but one of them was Moore's fifth home run of the year, a one-out shot to right field.
Niese struck out eight and walked none.
In the eighth, pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa walked with two outs off Ramon Ramirez and Lombardozzi doubled to left off Josh Edgin to make it 2-0.
NOTES: Desmond didn't start for the third consecutive game with a strained oblique muscle. Johnson made light of the injury's popularity. ``The oblique is in in 2012, I guess. Everyone seems to have one. I didn't know they were contagious,'' Johnson said. --- Nationals OF Jayson Werth will probably be cleared for baseball activities on Wednesday, Johnson said. Werth, who broke his left wrist in early May, is about two or three weeks away from returning to the majors. --- Washington introduced RHP Lucas Giolito, the team's first-round draft choice, who was signed Friday. General manager Mike Rizzo said Giolito would report to Viera, Fla. on Wednesday. He may not pitch until this fall's instructional league due to an elbow injury. --- The Mets activated OF Jason Bay from the 15-day disabled list. He had a concussion on June 15. They designated INF Omar Quintanilla for assignment. --- New York OF Lucas Duda missed his third straight game with a strained left hamstring. --- Mets OF Mike Baxter went 1 for 4 for Class A St. Lucie in a rehab assignment. Baxter is on the DL with injuries to his collarbone and ribs.
