For seven and a third innings, things could hardly have been going better for the Mets as they hosted the Washington Nationals on Monday night.
They had finally gotten a starting pitcher, Jacob deGrom, into the eighth inning of a game. It was a luxury that would seemingly afford the Mets bullpen, which has been averaging 12 outs per game, a rare night of rest.
Todd Frazier, signed as a free-agent in the winter, had continued his strong form at the plate, driving in two runs. And Asdrubal Cabrera, who wasn’t sure he even wanted to be here last June, continued to hit as if there were nowhere he would rather be than at Citi Field.