James Wood drove in the go-ahead run in his third major league game, while Luis García Jr. smashed two home runs to lead the Washington Nationals to a 7-5 comeback victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday night.
Wood, who recently debuted as Washington’s top prospect, delivered a crucial hit against Jake Diekman in the seventh inning, scoring Lane Thomas. Shortly after, he stole his first career base. Wood also singled and scored earlier in the game as part of the Nationals’ rally from a five-run deficit.
“It was really exciting,” said Wood, reflecting on the energy from the crowd. “We had a great turnout tonight, and we fed off that energy.”
Jacob Barnes (4-2) pitched a flawless seventh inning in relief of Mitchell Parker to earn the win, halting the Nationals’ three-game losing streak. This victory was only their second in the last nine games, bringing the Mets back to a .500 record.
The Mets’ bullpen, already strained from recent extended games, faltered this time after managing consecutive 10-inning victories. Diekman (2-3) allowed two runs on two hits in just one out, struggling with closer Edwin Díaz still serving a suspension.
“They grind out at-bats and force you into mistakes, and it escalated,” noted Diekman. “We’re just grinding through it. We know Díaz will be back soonish. It’s like a revolving door.”
The bullpen collapse prevented rookie starter Christian Scott from claiming his first MLB win in his first appearance since May 30. Scott kept the Mets hitless until two outs in the fourth inning but faltered with García’s three-run homer in the sixth.
“With our bullpen situation, after he got that second out, I wanted to push for one more batter, and it didn’t work out,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “He was solid up until that point, except for maybe one pitch he’d like to have back.”
