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The Mets rallied for four runs in the seventh after squandering a six-run lead and tacked on two more to beat the Washington Nationals 13-10 and extend their N.L. East lead to 3 1/2 games.
Jose Reyes set a New York Mets record for career stolen bases during a third-inning rally that scored six – all runs the Mets would eventually give back. Reyes kicked off the barrage with a single up the middle, then stole second for his 282nd stolen base. After a tip of the helmet to the cheering fans and a walk to Ryan Church, Reyes stole third for No. 283.
The rally continued with Wright singling home Reyes and Beltran doubling home Church. After an intentional pass to Carlos Delgado, Fernando Tatis doubled home Beltran and Wright and Damion Easley singled in Delgado and Tatis.
Starter Mike Pelfrey lasted just five innings, giving up five earned runs on eight hits and a pair of walks. He lost his no-hitter in the second inning when Elijah Dukes homered to left, making it 7,465 New York Mets games without a no-hitter.
Dukes a few innings later whined on a slightly inside pitch by Pelfrey, nearly starting a confrontation and prompting warnings to both dugouts. Pelfrey wound up grazing him on an inside 3-2 pitch to load the bases in the fifth. There was no ejection, but Kory Casto cut the Mets lead to 7-5 with a 2-RBI single.
Then reliever Aaron Heilman in the sixth gave up a two-run homer to Cristian Guzman to let the Nats tie the game at 7.
The Mets began their second one-out rally in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles by Wright and Beltran. With Lastings Milledge playing so deep in center for the Nats, Wright was able to take third and then scored on a Delgado sacrifice liner to left. Fernando Tatis followed with a single to center, and then both Beltran and Tatis advanced on a pickoff attempt mishandled by Guzman. After an intentional walk to Murphy, Beltran scored on a wild pitch and then Brian Schneider knocked in Tatis and Murphy with a near double (he was thrown out at second).
But neither team was done with the long ball.
Guzman hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth, and Wright responded with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning. Luis Ayala came on in the ninth for the save.
The Mets’ win and Phillies loss to the Marlins reduces the Mets’ magic number to 14.
