Washington Nationals Game 91 Review: Nats take advantage of unsharp Harvey

Washington Nationals’ Danny Espinosa, left, celebrates scoring with bench coach Randy Knorr, second from left, and others, during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets at Nationals Park, Monday, July 20, …

Left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez, aided by some stellar defense, allowed two runs in six innings as the Washington Nationals beat Matt Harvey and the New York Mets 7-2 on Monday in the first of a three-game set. He had men on base in just about every inning. That Harvey retired the final 14 batters he faced was a footnote.

Gio Gonzalez (7-4) allowed two earned runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts for his ninth career victory against the Mets – his most against any opponent. The right-hander entered the game with an ERA of 0.68 in his career against Washington, but he allowed five runs (four earned) and five hits with four walks in seven innings on a night the game time temperature was 94 degrees. And that was Harvey’s undoing in the Mets 7-2 loss to the Nationals. On this night, two runs.

Clint Robinson had a booming two-run double in the third and finished 2 for 4, and Ian Desmond got into the act, delivering a first-row two-run homer in the eighth off reliever Alex Torres. But the streak did not last long as third baseman Yunel Escobar had an RBI single in the first to score Espinosa, who had reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on a walk to Harper. “He’s been pitching very well and there is no indication that it would be otherwise when he gets back here”. “I’ve said before, this is the big leagues, that’s part of it. These guys are the best in the world for a reason, and you’ve just got to go out there and rise up to the challenge”. “It’s big for us”.

Nationals: RHP Abel de Los Santos was promoted from Double-A Harrisburg, and RHP Blake Treinen was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Mets are without Lucas Duda, Michael Cuddyer and Kevin Plawecki, while the Nationals have their ever growing injury list as well as giving star player Scherzer a break. “I didn’t want to have to start him and then take him out in the third or fourth”. Zimmerman (left foot plantar fasciitis) spent Monday with the Nationals, going through a workout to check his progress…. Gonzalez matches up with the Pirates on the road in his next start.

NOTES: Mets RHP Jacob deGrom (9-6, 2.14) will try to build on his All-Star success when he pitches Tuesday in Washington. He only had a chance to start 3 games this season before he was sent back down, going 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA.