Eight Is Enough As Mets Win In DC

Mets 8 Nationals 1 (Nationals Park, Washington, DC)

Mets record: 67-58

Mets streak: Won 3

Last 10: 4-6

WP - David Peterson (8-5)

LP - Jake Irvin (8-8)

Seat on the Korner: David Peterson

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.

On a night when the Mets scored 8 runs on 11 hits including 4 home runs, it would take quite a performance for a pitcher to earn the seat on the Korner. Well, that's just what David Peterson gave tonight: 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and 10 strikeouts - all on 96 total pitches.

Peterson nearly matched his June 11th masterpiece against these same Nationals, when he threw his first career complete game shutout.

Need to Know

• MLB history was made tonight, as Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and Nationals interim manager Miguel Cairo became the first Venezuelan managers to face each other.

• This was David Peterson's 14th career appearance (11th career start) against the Nationals. The Mets are now 13-1 in games Peterson has pitched against Washington.

• It was the fifth time that Peterson has pitched into the 8th inning of a game in 2025. No other Mets starter has done it even once this season.

• One more note about Peterson - after carrying a shutout into the 8th inning tonight, he did eventually give up a run on a double play groundout, which ended his scoreless streak against the Nationals at 25.1 innings.

• In 16 games this month, the Mets have hit 29 doubles, 29 home runs, with 55 walks, and 77 RBIs.

• Juan Soto has reached base safely in all 16 games in August, batting .271 (16-59), with 14 runs scored, 6 home runs, 10 RBIs, and 13 walks.

• Tonight's walk was Soto's 97th on the season, tying him for second most ever in a Mets season, and putting him three away from becoming the second Mets batter with at least 100 walks in a season. John Olerud accomplished that feat with 125 bases on balls in 1999. This would be Soto's sixth career season with at least 100 walks.

• The Mets are now 6-2 against the Nationals this season, after going 11-2 against them last year.

• Prior to the game, the Mets put catcher Francisco Alvarez on the Injured List. Alvarez injured his thumb sliding into second base on a double in Sunday night's victory over Seattle. Carlos Mendoza told reporters before the game that Alvarez will need surgery on the thumb although the Mets will re-evaluate him in 10-14 days to determine if he can play through the injury and undergo surgery in the offseason, or if he'll require the surgery sooner.

• Tonight's game was the first of a 6-game road trip: 3 games in Washington, DC, followed by 3 games in Atlanta.

  
  

Turning Point

The Mets have been waiting for Mark Vientos to go on a hot streak since last season came to an end. While it's been a challenge for Swaggy V to string together some good games, he came through tonight with his second big fly in as many games.

Tonight, his 2-out 2-run Home Run capped a 5-run third inning and put the Mets ahead 5-0. Coming into the game, Nationals starter Jake Irvin was 1-0 with a 0.59 ERA in his last two starts against the Mets in Washington, holding the Mets to a .118 batting average (6-51) in those two games. So the team new they'd have to take advantage of whatever mistakes Irvin might make. And Vientos did just that.

Three Keys

New Week, Same Francisco

Yesterday, Francisco Lindor was named the NL Player of the Week, having batter .560 (14-25) with 3 doubles, 7 runs scored, 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases. It was Lindor's 5th time earning that honor in his career, and the 3rd time since joining the Mets. He is one of 38 players in baseball history to win multiple Player of the Week awards in each league. Lindor kept it rolling with a one-out double in the third inning, eventually coming around to score the Mets first run.

Monster Squirrel

Jeff McNeil had himself a night, reaching base four times, scoring twice, and driving in three. The Flying Squirrel had a walk, a single, and a home run, although it was his 2-out 2-RBI double in the third inning that made the biggest difference.

Sixteen Bags

The Mets are the only team in the National League with four players who have at least 20 home runs. They added to their home run prowess with four more four-baggers tonight, with only one coming off the bat of a member of that "at least 20" club.

Mark Vientos' shot was his 9th of the season, Brett Baty hit his 14th, Juan Soto upped his team leading total to 31, and Jeff McNeil added his 10th.