The Mets dropped the rubber game against the last-place Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon, losing 9-3.
Here are the takeaways…
-For the first time since late July, it looked like Sean Manaea was poised to have a good day on the mound. The left-hander began his outing by retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced, including seven via strikeout. The only hit Manaea allowed over the first three innings was a ground-rule double by Brady House that got stuck in the left-field wall padding and barely missed being a home run.
Still, after the first hard-hit ball against him and the first Nationals chance to score, Manaea came back to strike out two to end the inning and leave the runner stranded at second.
-From then on, though, things got tricky for the lefty. The fourth inning began with another strikeout, Manaea's eighth of the game, but catcher Hayden Senger couldn't stop the sweeper and CJ Abrams reached safely on the wild pitch charged to Manaea. After a lineout, a single and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Abrams came around to score on Dylan Crews' groundout to second base. Brett Baty made the play going to his right, cutting off Francisco Lindor who might have had a chance to step on second and double up Crews even with his speed.
-After surrendering just the one run in the fourth, Manaea was back out for the fifth and paid for another defensive misstep. Following a single to start the inning, Jacob Young laid down a sacrifice bunt which was handled by Pete Alonso. Instead of getting the sure out at first base, Alonso threw to second to try and get the lead runner out, but his throw was too late. Alonso's aggressiveness put runners on first and second with nobody out and had Manaea in some more hot water.
The left-hander got one out before hitting his second batter of the game to load the bases once again. Met killer Paul DeJong hit a sacrifice fly to get Washington closer, but Manaea was one out away from escaping further damage. However, he was unable to close the door and walked Andrés Chaparro to end his outing and left with the bases loaded.
-Up by one, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Tyler Rogers to get the final out of the inning and hold onto the lead, but the submariner came in and immediately gave up the lead on a two-run single by Riley Adams. Both runs were charged to Manaea, who went 4.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on three hits, a walk, two HBPs and a wild pitch.
It's the fourth consecutive outing that Manaea has allowed four earned runs or more after coming off the IL and pitching to a 2.08 ERA in July in four games (three starts). Manaea has an ugly 7.98 ERA in four August starts. His season ERA now sits at 5.15 in 36.2 innings.
-On the other side, pitching for the Nationals, MacKenzie Gore lasted just 4.1 innings and was touched up for three runs, including Lindor's leadoff home run to start the game — the shortstop's eighth time leading off a game with a homer, a new franchise single-season record. Starling Marte also tagged Gore for a solo shot in the third to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
-But against Washington's bullpen, which has struggled all season, New York couldn't get anything going. Five pitchers held the Mets scoreless for 4.2 innings and before Lindor's two-out single in the ninth, their last hit was a single in the fourth inning by Cedric Mullins.
Instead, it was New York's bullpen that let the game get away.
-After Rogers failed to bail out Manaea in the fifth, the roof caved in on Ryne Stanek in the eighth. The right-hander allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. The big blow came off the bat of the struggling James Wood, who unloaded on a three-run bomb to break the game open and give the Nationals a 9-3 lead. Stanek now has a 5.65 ERA this season and an 18.56 ERA over his last seven appearances (5.1 innings).
-Senger notched his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fourth that put New York ahead 3-0 at the time.
Game MVP: Riley Adams
He finished 2-for-3 and his two RBI in the fifth gave his team the lead that it would not relinquish.
Highlights
Leadoff homer for Francisco Lindor!
His eighth leadoff home run of the season is a franchise record! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GCYbdeigmb— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025
Sean Manaea is up to 5 strikeouts through two innings 💪 pic.twitter.com/2GyEbkNmsZ
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025
Starling Marte solo homer! 💣 pic.twitter.com/z2jXtI0ob5
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025
Hayden Senger's first MLB RBI! pic.twitter.com/nqjzREWtF5
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025
What's next
The Mets continue their road trip with a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves starting on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
RHP Nolan McLean (1-0, 0.00) will make his second career start after a superb outing in his MLB debut and will face off against LHP Joey Wentz (4-3, 4.72 ERA).