Seven-run inning, Strasburg lift Nats past Mets

[May 20, 2016]  NEW YORK -- Few managers in baseball know the innermost thoughts of a hitter better than Washington Nationals skipper Dusty Baker, who won two Silver Sluggers as an outfielder and spent four seasons as a hitting coach before moving into the manager's office.

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

"You feel good about yourself when you get hits," Baker said Thursday night.

The Nationals felt pretty good about themselves Thursday night at the expense of New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey, whose battered psyche took yet another beating in Washington's 9-1 win at Citi Field.

Anthony Rendon, Wilson Ramos and Ben Revere each had two-run hits during the third inning, which was Washington's second seven-run inning of the season. The Nationals (25-16) outscored the Mets 16-2 in winning the final two games of a three-game series.

"Right now, they should be feeling pretty good," Baker said of his hitters.

Washington is one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies and 2 1/2 games up on the Mets (22-18) in the National League East.

"I thought we really grinded out some at-bats up and down the lineup," said Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning and went 4-for-11 with four RBIs in his first series against his former team.

"To be able to come back on Matt after they made it 2-1 -- we came right back and were able to put up a crooked number."

Harvey's season has been filled with atypically crooked numbers. His ERA soared from 4.93 to 5.77 after he gave up a career-high nine runs (six earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out two over a career-low 2 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander entered this season with a 2.53 ERA in 65 big league starts and produced a 2.71 regular-season mark last year, his first season following Tommy John surgery.

Asked what is next for Harvey, Mets manager Terry Collins sighed and paused for six seconds.

"Well," Collins said before pausing again. "First thing we've got to do right now is, I think, try and build up some confidence -- some way, somehow."

Collins didn't rule out skipping Harvey in the rotation -- Harvey is scheduled to face the Nationals next Tuesday in Washington -- and said the pitcher likely would visit a doctor to make sure there is no injury.

Harvey, usually confident bordering on arrogant, was nearly at a loss for words afterward.

"Everybody saw the game," Harvey said. "It's pretty obvious what happened. I'm not happy about it, and I know nobody else is."

Harvey got just four swings and misses on 61 pitches Thursday -- and none in the 31 pitches he threw during the nightmarish third inning in which his defense performed poorly as well.

The Nationals loaded the bases with one out before Ryan Zimmerman hit a potential double=play ball to shortstop, but Asdrubal Cabrera bobbled it as Revere scored. Rendon followed with a two-run double off the glove of a leaping Michael Conforto in left field to make the score 5-1.

Ramos followed with a two-run single. One out later, Revere laced a two-run triple past a diving Yoenis Cespedes to finally chase Harvey, who was walking off the mound before manager Collins even took the ball from him.

"Personally, I'm not going to read too much into it," Murphy said of the Nationals' outburst against Harvey. "I've seen how dangerous he can be. I'm sure he's not far away at all."

Buoyed by the early run support, Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg improved to 7-0 after allowing one run on six hits and one walk while striking out 10 over six innings.

"We hope he never loses," Baker said. "You know it's inevitable, he's going to lose. But since he hasn't lost, why expect a loss?"

Washington has won Strasburg's last 13 starts, a record for the Nationals/Montreal Expos franchise.

"I think that's probably my go-to saying, giving the team a chance to win, and I really do believe that," Strasburg said. "There's going to be games where you just don't have your best stuff, but you've got to do everything you can to keep it close and give them a chance."

Cabrera had an RBI single in the second for the Mets, and Neil Walker had two hits.

NOTES: Mets 1B Lucas Duda returned to the lineup after missing two games with a stiff back. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. ... Former Mets vice president of player development and amateur scouting Paul DePodesta received his National League championship ring Wednesday night. DePodesta is currently the chief strategy officer of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. ... The 11 walks drawn by the Nationals on Wednesday in a 7-1 win over the Mets tied the franchise's Washington-era (2005-present) record set previously on Aug. 9, 2006. ... Former big league slugger Pedro Guerrero visited with Nationals manager Dusty Baker before the game. Guerrero and Baker were teammates on the 1981 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

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