Brandon Nimmo hit a double that cleared the bases, sparking a five-run fifth inning. David Peterson pitched six scoreless innings as the New York Mets swept the Washington Nationals with a 7-0 victory on Thursday.
J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso also contributed RBI singles as the Mets improved to two games above .500 for the first time since April 24. Mark Vientos and Harrison Bader added RBI singles in the eighth inning.
With the win, New York (47-45) moved ahead of San Diego by one percentage point (.511) for the NL’s third wild-card spot.
“It’s been a total team effort and I’m really proud of these guys because every day, someone different steps up,” Nimmo commented.
This victory marks the Mets’ seventh sweep this season, and they have a record of 25-12 since being swept in a doubleheader by the Dodgers on May 29, which led to a players-only meeting.
“I think we’re just focusing on taking care of business day by day,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, downplaying the importance of the standings. “After what we went through in May and how far back we were, it feels good to be in this position.”
Peterson (4-0) gave up four hits and managed to escape jams with the help of four relievers to secure New York’s first shutout of the season. He struck out five batters and walked three.
The Mets didn’t get their first hit until Martinez doubled in the fourth inning. Consecutive walks to Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor in the fifth inning loaded the bases for Nimmo, who delivered a crucial hit against Washington starter MacKenzie Gore (6-8).
“Gore is a great pitcher,” Nimmo acknowledged. “We have a lot of respect for him, but our goal was to keep applying pressure until we broke through, and today we were able to do that.”
