New York right-hander Dillon Gee was on the mound the last time the Mets beat the Washington Nationals at home in Citi Field on June 29, 2013, and it was Gee again earning the win tonight snap a 12-game losing streak vs the Nats in NY. 4-3 final.
Remember when Adam Dunn hit one out to Shea Bridge? Top 5:
5. Quick Recap:Eric Young, Jr. singled to center on the first pitch of the game from Washington Nationals' lefty Gio Gonzalez, and the New York Mets loaded the bases with one down in front of catcher Travis d'Arnaud on a HBP on Juan Lagares and a walk by Lucas Duda.
The Mets' 25-year-old catcher, who has been on a tear in September, going 14 for 33 (.424/.472/.636) so far with four doubles and a home run in nine games, worked the count full and hit his fifth double of the month to left field, driving in two runs with the third scoring on what was ruled an error when Lucas Duda slid into Nats' catcher Wilson Ramos' mitt and knocked the ball loose after a perfect relay from Bryce Harper to Ian Desmond and on to home. 3-0 New York after one.
Watch @TdArnaud start the scoring for the #Mets with this bases-clearing double! http://t.co/lSuL97HRg4#LGM
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 12, 2014Anthony Rendon doubled for the 37th time this season on the first pitch from Mets' starter Dillon Gee in the third and scored his major league-leading 107th run when Adam LaRoche singled to center in the next at bat. Two outs later, LaRoche scored on an RBI grounder by Wilson Ramos, whose single cut New York's lead to one run. 3-2.
WATCH: In a shocking development*, @e3LaRoche got the #Nats on the board with this single in the 3rd: *not shocking http://t.co/bexfd2hyiP
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 13, 2014WATCH: The Buffalo brought the #Nats within a run as Wilson Ramos' single to CF scored Adam LaRoche. #HornsUP: http://t.co/8faYfnYt0s
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 13, 2014Anthony Rendon was 3 for 3 tonight with a single, double and home run after he got hold of a hanging 2-2 slider from Dillon Gee and sent it out to left, off the top of the fence in front of the Party City.com deck for HR no.20 of 2014 and a tie game in NY. 3-3.
WATCH: That's 20! Congrats to Anthony Rendon on the first 20-homer season of his career: http://t.co/BS8txBQeklpic.twitter.com/TqL6U8DAIa
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 13, 2014The Mets took the lead right back, however, with Eric Young, Jr. reaching on an infield single in the bottom of the fifth and scoring on an RBI double to left by Juan Lagares. 4-3.
Watch @juanlagares2 score @EYJr from first on this RBI double. http://t.co/G3GBJh6osh#LGM
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 13, 2014That's how it ended... 4-3 Mets final.
4. Gonzalez in New York: After going winless in nine outings (0-5) with Washington 3-6 in his starts between July 10th and August 26th, 28-year-old Nationals' lefty Gio Gonzalez has won each of his last two turns in the rotation, helping the Nats to wins over the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
So far in the second half of the 2014 campaign, which is Gonzalez's third in the nation's capital, the left-hander has gone (2-4) in 10 starts over which the Nationals are 5-5, posting a 4.12 ERA, 3.23 FIP and a .250/.319/.365 line against in 54 ⅔ IP.
In his two wins this month, the southpaw has held opposing hitters to a .182/.217/.279 line against in 12 IP.
Two of the three runs Gonzalez allowed in the Nats' 6-2 win over the Dodgers in L.A. came on a first-inning home run by Matt Kemp, who hit a 1-1 fastball out to right in Chavez Ravine for a two-run blast after a solo home run by Jayson Werth in the top of the first game the Nats an early lead.
Gonzalez threw five scoreless innings after the home run by Kemp before the third run he was charged with scored in the seventh when he gave up a leadoff single by Kemp, who came around after Drew Storen took over on the mound.
"Gio was good," Nationals' manager Matt Williams said after that outing.
"The first inning home run to Kemp was the only one. Gave up a couple of hits in his last inning, but pitch count was down, he was doing fine, and he gave up the two hits in his last inning we had to go get him."
Gonzalez's six-inning outing against the Phillies last week in D.C. was unique in that it was the first outing of the season in which he didn't allow a single walk, giving up five hits and two runs, one earned in a 3-2 win.
"They didn't do much with his curveball or his changeup, which is key for him," Williams said after Gonzalez's second straight win last Sunday. "If he can land both of those early, then his fastball looks better, more explosive out of his hand and he's able to pitch off the zone with it up and away and get guys to swing at it. He was really good."
Tonight in New York, Gonzalez was taking on the Mets for the fourth time this season after going (1-2) in the previous three outings against the Nats' NL East rivals, with a 6.00 ERA, five walks (3.00 BB/9) and 16 Ks (9.60 K/9) in 15 IP in which NY's hitters have put up a .271/.323/.424 line against him.
His one win against the Mets came in his first start of the season, which took place in Citi Field, where he gave up three hits, a walk and one earned run in six innings back on April 2nd.
Gonzalez's second 2014 start in New York began with a single to center...
1st: Eric Young, Jr. took a first-pitch fastball to center for a leadoff single. Juan Lagares took an 0-2 pitch in the shoulder, putting two runners on with no one out. Eric Campbell was first-pitch swinging too, but sent a fly to Denard Span in center. Gonzalez got up 0-2 on Lucas Duda, but ended up walking the Mets' first baseman in an eight-pitch at bat. Travis d'Arnaud stepped in with the bases loaded and one out and cleared the bases with a double to left field on a full-count fastball with Duda knocking the ball out of Wilson Ramos' mitt as he slid in for the third run. 3-0 Mets on d'Arnaud's 20th double of the season. Curtis Granderson sent a fly to right for out no.2. Dilson Herrera K'd looking to end a 25-pitch frame.
Tonight’s action can be found on @SNYtv, @MLBTV, @WOR710 and in Spanish @DeportesNY1050. Pregame starts at 6:30p. pic.twitter.com/vQtpBWN5Tn
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 12, 20142nd: Ruben Tejada sent a fly to center for the first out of the Mets' second. Dillon Gee K'd swinging at an 0-2 curve for out no.2. Eric Young, Jr. missed a 2-2 change and K'd swinging to end a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 second that left Gonzalez at 37 pitches.
3rd: Juan Lagares sent a fly ball to center to start the Mets' third. A 1-2 change got Eric Campbell swinging for out no.2. Lucas Duda lined to left for a two-out single that fell in for a hit in front of Bryce Harper. Harper caught Travis d'Arnaud's broken bat fly to left though. Three outs. 16-pitch frame, 53 total.
4th: Curtis Granderson popped up to short left where Ian Desmond, Bryce Harper and Denard Span let it fall in for a "double" when Desmond peeled off thinking the outfielders had it. Dilson Herrera K'd looking at a 1-2 change low in the zone. Ruben Tejada grounded out to third for out no.2. Dillon Gee's groundout to second ended an 11-pitch frame. 64 pitches overall.
5th: Eric Young, Jr. singled to start the fifth, reaching on a grounder that got by both Gonzalez on the mound and Asdrubal Cabrera and Young scored on an RBI double to left by Juan Lagares. 4-3. Eric Campbell sent a fly to center that Denard Span tracked down. Juan Lagares grounded out to first for out no.2. Travis d'Arnaud K'd swinging to end a 24-pitch frame that left Gonzalez at 88 overall after five.
6th: Curtis Granderson and Dilson Herrera hit groundouts to second for the first two outs of the Mets' sixth and Ruben Tejada went down swinging to end a quick, nine-pitch, 1-2-3 frame that left Gonzalez at 97 pitches.
7th:Josh Satin grounded back to the mound for the first out of the Mets' seventh. Eric Young, Jr. popped out to short left. Eight-straight set down... that was it for Gio.
The line on @GioGonzalez47 tonight: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3ER), 1 BB, 7 K -- 110 pitches, 76 strikes. pic.twitter.com/PUfc2ijCP9
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 13, 2014• Gio Gonzalez's Line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 Ks, 110 P, 76 S, 6/5 GO/FO.
3. Golly Gee: In ten second-half starts before tonight's outing against the Nationals, 28-year-old Mets' right-hander Dillon Gee was (2-6) with New York 3-7. The '07 21st Round pick out of Cleburn, Texas and the University of Texas at Arlington, put up a 4.90 ERA, a 5.11 FIP and a .241/.317/.454 line against in 60 ⅔ after the All-Star Break.
Gee was facing Washington for the third time in 19 2014 starts this evening in New York, where was (4-3) this season with a 3.63 ERA, a 4.76 FIP and a .223/.304/.375 line against in 11 starts and 72 IP before taking the mound in the second game of the four-game set in Citi Field..
In his five major league campaign after debuting against the Nationals on September 7, 2010, Gee was (7-4) in 14 starts against Washington with a 3.41 ERA, 28 walks (2.81 BB/9) and 64 Ks (6.42 K/9) in 89 ⅔ IP over which Nats' hitters have put up a .234/.301/.426 line against him.
This season, however, after he'd fared well against the Nationals early in his career, Gee was (0-1) in two starts with a 5.68 ERA in 12 ⅔ IP, in spite of holding Nats' hitters to a .182/.280/.409 line.
Have you ever got a trivia Q wrong then the guy who's name was the correct answer comes over to correct you? He does! pic.twitter.com/gBkqOuXQkc
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 13, 2014The Mets' right-hander's third start of the year against Washington began with a scoreless frame in which he worked around a two-out single by Anthony Rendon a walk to Adam LaRoche in a 23-pitch inning.
After the Mets took a 3-0 lead in the home-half of the first, the Nationals loaded the bases with two down in the top of the second, but Dilson Herrera helped Gee out of trouble with a leaping grab on a soft liner off Asdrubal Cabrera's bat. 14-pitch frame, 37 total after two.
Anthony Rendon doubled to start the Nats' third, taking a first-pitch fastball to left, and scored on an RBI single to left field by Adam LaRoche. 3-1. Ian Desmond singled to right for the third straight hit, sending a 3-1 fastball to right, but Bryce Harper grounded into a 4-6-3 DP in the next AB. Wilson Ramos stepped in with two out and LaRoche on third and singled to center to make it 3-2 NY. Nate Schierholtz K'd swinging to end a 20-pitch frame by Gee, who was up to 57 pitches.
Asdrubal Cabrera K'd swinging to end a 13-pitch, 1-2-3 fourth by Gee that left the right-hander at 70 pitches.
Anthony Rendon took a hanging-a$$ 2-2 slider from Gee to left and off the top of the wall in front of the Party City.com deck for a solo blast that had to be reviewed before it was ruled HR no.20 of 2014. 3 for 3 tonight for Rendon after the blast, with a single, double and home run.
Adam LaRoche walked in the next AB, but was forced out at second on a grounder off Ian Desmond's bat. Desmond stole second, but two outs later he was stranded on the basepaths. 25-pitch frame for Gee, 95 total after five.
Nate Schierholtz reached on an infield single, but Gio Gonzalez failed to get a bunt down. Denard Span's one-out single ended Gee's night.
• Dillon Gee's Line: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 Ks, 1 HR, 108 P, 71 S, 8/2 GO/FO.
2. Lucky no.13?: The Nationals entered the second game of four in New York with an 11-2 record against the Mets this season, wins in 26 of the last 30 games, and a 12-game win-streak going in Citi Field, where they were 7-0 this season and unbeaten since June 29, 2013 when Dillon Gee outdueled Nats' right-hander Taylor Jordan in a 5-1 Mets' win.
Could Gee lead the Mets to their first win over the Nationals at home in Citi Field this season?
• It wasn't really Gee leadng the way, but the Mets finally won one at home.
#Nats Manager Matt Williams said Ryan Zimmerman threw, hit & ran on the field today. Possible he'll go to instructional lg. Sunday or Monday
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 12, 2014• 1. The Wrap-Up:Carlos Torres took over on the mound for Gee in the top of the sixth with two on an Asdrubal Carbera at the plate and got an inning-ending 4-6-3 out of the Nats' second baseman.
Torres issued a walk to Adam LaRoche with one down in the top of the seventh, but another 4-6-3 DP ended the Nats' half of the frame.
Aaron Barrett took over for Gio Gonzalez with two down in the seventh and gave up a two-out single to right by Juan Lagares. Lagares stole second to put himself in scoring position, but Eric Campbell K'd looking to end the frame.
#ReleaseTheBear! @aaronbarrett30 gets out of the inning. #Nats will send Harper, Ramos & Schierholtz to the plate in the 8th, down 4-3
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 13, 2014Jeurys Familia struck Bryce Harper for the first out of the eighth, then struck Wilson Ramos out too. Nate Schierholtz singled with two down, but Kevin Frandsen grounded into a force at second.
Jerry Blevins threw a scoreless 13-pitch eighth to keep it close, striking out the side.
Jenrry Mejia came on looking for the save, and gave up a leadoff single to center by Denard Span. Asdrubal Cabrera flew out to the warning track in left-center. Anthony Rendon stepped in with one on and one out. Span stole second on a 2-0 fastball, but Rendon K'd swinging at a 3-2 slider outside. Adam LaRoche came up with two down and the Mets walked him after Mejia started 3-0. Ian Desmond was next up... and he went down swinging to end it.
4-3 Mets.
Nationals now 83-63