NEW YORK — The Mets were in need of a straightforward, slightly boring, but convincing win. On Friday, they accomplished the win part, but not quite the rest.
On the heels of taking a three-game set from the league-best Dodgers — during which the Mets outscored Los Angeles by two critical runs — they would have welcomed a tension-free game against the Nationals. The Mets expelled them, 7-3, but it was not without trouble.
Two separate two-run leads (first 2-0, then 3-1), could not hold up under the weight of Washington’s no-name lineup. When the Mets came to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, the game was tied at three, looking like it might come down to the wire. Instead, the Mets collected themselves, assessed the situation in front of them, and made sure the Nats would never get that close again.
