A National Treasure Pen Perfect, Mets Complete Comeback with 5-4 Extra Inning Walk-Off Win

Mets 5 Nationals 4 (10 innings Citi Field,Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 43-24

Mets streak: Won 4

L10 : 8-2

WP - Reed Garrett (2-2)

LP - Cole Henry (0-1)

Seat on the Korner: Juan Soto

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

Each night, we hand out a virtual seat on the Korner—a tribute to the legendary Ralph Kiner and his iconic postgame show on WOR-Channel 9, where the game’s star would sit down for a little chitchat with Ralph (whether they liked it or not). Tonight’s Seat on the Korner goes to Juan Soto, who delivered in every phase of the game. Coming off a 3-for-3, three-walk performance on Sunday, Soto followed it up with a 2-for-4 night that included his 12th home run of the season and a clutch eighth-inning double that helped ignite the Mets’ comeback. He also made a key defensive play in the second inning, throwing out José Tena at the plate to keep a vital run off the board and prevent the Nationals from extending their early lead. Soto has now reached base safely in 12 consecutive games, batting .341 (14-for-41) during that stretch with 14 runs scored, three doubles, four homers, eight RBIs, and 14 walks—a reminder of just how complete and impactful a player he truly is.

Need to Know

• The Mets have defeated the Nationals in each of the last eight games at Citi Field. It's the ties the longest streak in team history. The Mets won eight straight home games against Montreal/Washington from July 25, 2000-April 17, 2021. In addition, the Mets have won 10 of their last 11 games against Washington at Citi Field.

• With tonight's no decision MacKenzie Gore remains 1-3 with a 4.45 ERA in seven career starts against the Mets.

• MacKenzie Gore's 14.0 scoreless inning streak came to an end in the second inning tonight. It was the fourth-longest active scoreless inning streak by a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball and the third-longest scoreless inning streak by a National this season.

• With the no decision tonight Griffin Canning In eight career starts at Citi Field has 2-1 record and a 3.46 ERA (15 ER/39 IP) with 41 strikeouts.

• Griffin Canning’s tenure with the Mets has been a tale of two stretches. In his first eight starts, he impressed with a strong 2.36 ERA, showcasing consistency and control on the mound. However, over his last five outings, Canning has struggled to maintain that early success, posting a 4.84 ERA during that span.

• Nationals James Wood is putting together a standout season, coming into play today he ranking among the National League's best and excelling among NL outfielders. He’s 3rd in the NL and 2nd among NL outfielders in Hard Hit Rate (58.9%), and his 156 OPS+ ranks 7th in the league and 2nd among outfielders. He’s driven in 45 runs (7th NL / 2nd NL OF) and boasts a 150 wRC+ (8th NL / 2nd NL OF). Wood's 32 extra-base hits place him 6th in the NL and 3rd among NL outfielders, while his 16 home runs tie him for 7th in the league and rank 3rd among outfielders. He’s also among the top 10 in OPS (.899), slugging (.533), and wOBA (.386), ranking 8th, 8th, and 9th in the NL, respectively. His Win Probability Added of 1.8 ranks 10th in the league and 3rd among outfielders. Among NL outfielders, he’s also 5th in both on-base percentage (.366) and walks (37), and 6th in fWAR (2.4), underscoring his all-around impact.

• Several members of the Nationals have ties to the New York Mets . Coaches Ricky Bones, Miguel Cairo, and Henry Blanco each spent time with the Mets, either as players, coaches, or both. Trevor Williams pitched for the Mets during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, while Amed Rosario began his major league career in New York, playing for the Mets from 2017 to 2020. On the Mets side Juan Soto made his mark with the Nationals from 2018 to 2022, playing a key role in their 2019 World Series championship. Additionally, Jesse Winker opened the 2024 season with Washington before joining his current club.

• The Mets own a 43-24 record this season. That is the best record in the National League. Only the Tigers have more wins with 43. It is the fifth-best record to start a season. Only the 1986 (46-19), 1988 (42-23),2022 (42-23) and 2006 (42-23) teams had better season-opening records.

• Jeff McNeil has reached base safely in each of the last 13 games,

  batting .318 (14-44) with six runs, four doubles, four home runs, eight RBI, four walks, one steal, a .354 OBP and a .674 SLG...He has hit three home runs over his last two games including his third career multi-homer game.

•  Pete Alonso has safely reached base in 17 straight games...

  The 17-game on-base streak is the third-longest of his career...He is batting .315 (23-73) in that span with four doubles, eight homers, 25 RBI, five walks. Alonso has collected 62 RBI in 67 games this season. That is the most in the major leagues...He recorded 88 RBI in 162 contests last year. His 62 RBI through the team's first 67 games is the second-most in franchise history. In 2022, Alonso recorded 63 RBI through the team's first 67 games.

• The win, combined with losses by the Phillies, Nationals, and Braves—with only the Marlins picking up a victory—puts the Mets in sole possession of first place. They now lead the Phillies by 5 games, the Nationals by 12.5, the Braves by 14.5, and the Marlins by 17.

• The Mets signed former Met Travis Jankowski to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Syracuse.

• Sean Manaea looked much sharper in his second rehab outing than his first. Pitching for High-A Brooklyn tonight, the lefty tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Asheville, giving up just two singles and a walk while striking out four. It was a solid rebound after allowing four runs (three earned) in his debut last Friday. Most notably, Manaea threw 46 pitches as he works his way back from a right oblique strain. He’s expected to continue building up his pitch count over several more rehab starts before the Mets consider bringing him back.

  
  
  
  

Turning Point

What looked like a game the Mets were destined to lose took a dramatic turn late. Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore was handed an early 3-0 lead, and although the Mets chipped away to make it 3-2, Washington extended the advantage to 4-2 in the fifth. From there, the Mets' offense went ice cold, as Nationals pitching retired 12 consecutive batters. With two outs in the eighth, Starling Marte finally broke the streak with a walk, and Juan Soto followed with a double to score Marte and cut the deficit to one. The turning point came moments later when Pete Alonso lined a clutch, two-out RBI single to left, tying the game at 4 and shifting the momentum squarely in the Mets’ favor—ultimately setting the stage for a dramatic walk-off win in the 10th inning.

Three Keys

The Bullpen is Almost Perfect

The Mets' bullpen was the unsung hero in their dramatic walk-off win, beginning with José Buttó's entrance in the sixth. Called on after a walk, Buttó calmly recorded two outs to strand the runner and keep the deficit manageable. In the seventh, newcomer José Castillo navigated some trouble after issuing a walk and hitting a batter, but was bailed out by a huge double play off the bat of James Wood. The eighth brought another fresh face—Justin Garza, making his Mets debut just days after being acquired. Garza was tested immediately, entering with two on and one out. He delivered in the clutch, striking out two and escaping the jam with a wild pitch mixed in. Edwin Díaz took the ninth and struck out two of the three batters he faced in a clean frame, setting the table for extra innings. In the 10th, with the automatic runner on second, Reed Garrett was electric—stranding CJ Abrams at third with a groundout, strikeout, and flyout to keep the game tied. It was a flawless bullpen effort across five innings that kept the Mets alive long enough to win it in extras.

Squirrel Walks it off

One night after recording his first game with three extra-base hits, Jeff McNeil followed up with another strong performance, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs—including the game-winning walk-off single on the first pitch of the 10th inning. McNeil rewarded manager Carlos Mendoza’s decision to start him over Luisangel Acuña against tough lefty MacKenzie Gore, a move influenced by McNeil’s solid career numbers against Gore. That call proved crucial, as McNeil came through in key moments and continued his recent surge at the plate.

Don’t Sleep on CJ Abrams or the Nationals

Despite the loss, CJ Abrams turned in an impressive night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. He opened the scoring with an RBI double in the second inning and added his ninth home run of the season in the fifth,and had another double for a three extra base hit night, showcasing his power and ability to spark the Nationals’ offense. Abrams continues to emerge as one of the bright young stars in Washington's lineup. With dynamic players like Abrams, James Wood, and Alex Call, the Nationals are a team that shouldn't be overlooked—they have the talent to make life difficult for opponents all season long.