[caption id="attachment_733" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Lucas Duda's sixth inning round-tripper gets Pelfrey off of the hook. The longball also kickstarted a Met offense that scored three more times to defeat the Nationals 6-3 this afternoon. (Photo Credit: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)"]
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Despite a poor outing from Mike Pelfrey, the Mets were able to take the rubber game of their weekend series against the Nationals with a gutsy 6-3 win this afternoon.
Pelfrey did not survive long enough to receive a decision, as he could not get through the fifth inning with his pitch count climbing over 100. In the previous frame, the Nationals tagged him for three runs as the first three he faced reached base via a walk and two hits. After three two-out walks in the fifth, Terry Collins did not want to let a 3-2 deficit really get away and called on Ryota Igarahi.
In just two pitches, Igarshi got Chris Marrero to fly out to Ruben Tejada to strand the bases loaded. The sudden end to an otherwise long inning energized the bats in the top of the sixth, giving Igarashi his third win on the year.
Lucas Duda tied the game with a homer to right field, but the Mets had eyes on taking the lead. The next three hitters loaded the bases on singles to knock Nationals’ starter Livan Hernandez out of the game. With Todd Coffey coming out of the Nats’ bullpen, Collins called for Willie Harris to pinch-hit for Josh Satin. The move paid off immediately as Harris took the first pitch he saw and yanked it down the right field line for a two-run single.
After Mike Nickeas laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt, the Mets had a 6-3 lead, but it was up to a sometimes shaky bullpen to hold it.
Josh Stinson delivered with two solid relief innings. It was only his second ever major-league appearance, but he threw like he had been doing it for years. He walked one and gave up a hit, but otherwise locked it down; sending the game to Jason Isringhausen for the eighth and Bobby Parnell for the ninth.
Izzy gave up an infield single on a ball off his throwing hand in his frame but was un-scored upon. The real test was for Parnell who took a loss and a blown save in last night’s walk-off loss. There was drama, but he managed to avoid letting a two-out walk to Ryan Zimmerman ruin his afternoon. He retired Werth three pitches later to pick up his fifth save of the season.
The Mets will leave Washington having won a three game series with the Nationals. They will fly to Florida to start a three game series against the Marlins starting tomorrow night. Chris Capuano will toe the rubber against Javier Vasquez in the first game, while Miguel Batista and R.A. Dickey will get the ball in the second and third games respectively.
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