Washington, DC - Brian Schneider's two-run double highlighted a four-run fourth inning and the Washington Nationals defeated the struggling New York Mets, 12-4, in the opener of a three-game set at RFK Stadium.
Ronnie Belliard and Wily Mo Pena each added a pair RBI for the Nationals, who won for just the second time in six outings. Ryan Church registered a two-run homer for Washington, which improved to 2-2 on its current 10-game homestand.
Pena had two hits and Nook Logan went 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored as Washington became the latest NL East team to contribute to the Mets' woes.
New York has dropped four straight and now leads the Phillies by just 2 1/2 games atop the division. Philadelphia, which swept a three-game set from New York over the weekend, beat St. Louis 13-11 on Monday night.
Carlos Beltran and Shawn Green homered for the Mets, who have dropped five of their last six games and continued to make mistakes in the field. Fresh off a six-error game in a 10-6 loss to the Phillies in Sunday's finale, New York committed four more in this game.
New York's Moises Alou ended 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 21 games.
Down 4-0, the Nationals put up a four-spot in the fourth. Belliard singled home Ryan Zimmerman with the first, Robert Fick followed with an RBI single and Schneider doubled home a pair to tie the game and force New York starter Brian Lawrence from the game.
Aaron Sele got through the rest of the inning without allowing any further damage, but yielded another run in the fifth that put Washington ahead for good. Logan started the inning with a double and scored on Pena's two-out base hit to left.
Washington continued to threaten, loading the bases and chasing Sele in favor of Scott Schoeneweis, who struck out pinch-hitter Tony Batista to end the inning.
However, yet again the Mets' bullpen got into more trouble in the sixth. Schoeneweis walked Schneider to start the inning, pinch-hitter Felipe Lopez reached on David Wright's fielding error, putting runners on second and third.
Logan followed with a bunt and Schoeneweis' throw to first went up the right field line to allow both runners to score and Logan to reach third.
New York reliever Jorge Sosa entered and walked Zimmerman. Then on a comebacker off the bat of Pena, Sosa turned to start the double play, but instead made a 360 and came back home too late to get Logan and Washington led 8-4. Zimmerman later scored on a Belliard fielder's choice to make it a five- run game.
In the seventh, Logan added an RBI single and Church hit a two-run pinch-hit homer.
Sele (3-2) was hit with the loss, allowing one run on three hits in 1 1/3 innings. In total, the Mets bullpen was touched for eight runs -- seven earned -- on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Washington reliever Jonathan Albaladejo (1-0) got the win, yielding just one hit and a walk in 1 1/3 innings.
Mets got going in the first inning. Luis Castillo's sac fly scored Jose Reyes, who began the game with a walk and moved to third when Nationals starting pitcher Tim Redding's pick-off throw went up the left field line. Later in the inning, Beltran hit a two-run homer, giving the Mets a 3-0 lead.
Then, in the fourth, Green hit a homer to extend the lead to four runs.
Redding was charged with four runs on six hits in four innings.
Lawrence was hit for four runs on six hits over 3 1/3 frames.
Game Notes
Church's homer was his first as a pinch hitter this season...Logan stole his 21st base of the season...Beltran's HR was his 30th...Green has nine HRs...Church has 14 HRs this year...The 10 errors over two games is a Mets franchise record.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes
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