WASHINGTON — David Wright rounded third base, chugging as fast as he could with a bad back, and saw Tim Teufel, the Mets’ third base coach, swinging his left arm like a windmill. The Mets had already built a two-run lead over the Washington Nationals, and Teufel saw the ball, a long double by Yoenis Cespedes, soar over Bryce Harper’s head.
Wright slid home just ahead of the throw, popped up and held his arms wide. Safe. The Mets had said they would treat this three-game series with the Nationals here as a playoff series, a chance to widen the gap in the National League East, and they played with that urgency.