Mets 5, Nationals 1
NEW YORK -- Dillon Gee pitched around trouble in six innings and the New York Mets capitalized on three errors by the Washington Nationals in a 5-1 victory Saturday at Citi Field.
Gee (6-7) won for the fourth time in five decisions since allowing a five-run fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves on May 25. He allowed one run and six hits while pitching with men on base in every inning.
Marlon Byrd reached base four times for the Mets, who have won nine of their last 14 games. Byrd was hit by a pitch in the first, was safe on two errors by Ryan Zimmerman at third base and hit a run-scoring single in the sixth.
Gee allowed the Mets to score only on a two-out RBI single by Kurt Suzuki in the fourth. Suzuki's hit scored Roger Bernadina, but the Washington catcher was thrown out trying to advance to second.
That was one of three key defensive plays that aided Gee's sixth career victory against the Nationals.
In the fifth, Gee gave up a leadoff single to rookie pitcher Taylor Jordan, but got Denard Span to hit into a 336 double play.
An inning later, Gee walked Ryan Zimmerman for the third time, but Adam LaRoche grounded into a double play, with Zimmerman getting caught in a rundown.
Carlos Torres worked escaped a first and second jam with two out in the seventh, before striking out Zimmerman, LaRoche and Jayson Werth in the eighth.
LaTroy Hawkins finished up for New York in a non-save situation.
Jordan (0-1) allowed three runs (one earned) and five hits over 4 1/3 innings in his major league debut. He gave up a run in the fourth on John Buck's RBI single that scored Byrd, who was safe on Zimmerman's first error.
In the fifth, the Mets took the lead when Washington made two errors on the same play.
Byrd hit a ball that took a high hop and deflected off Zimmerman's glove and to shortstop Ian Desmond, who threw the ball away, allowing Daniel Murphy to score.
The Mets added their next two runs on sacrifice flies by Kirk Nieuwenheis and Eric Young Jr. Their final run came on an RBI single by Byrd that scored Murphy, who tripled.
NOTES: The Nationals said RHP Ross Detwiler had some back stiffness that is on a different side of his body than the earlier oblique injury that landed him on the disabled list. Detwiler will test it out in his normal side session between starts before the Mets make a decision on his next start. ... New York LHP Jon Niese said that his left shoulder is feeling better and that he hopes and MRI exam on Thursday will confirm that. ... Washington OF Bryce Harper was expected to play nine innings for Class AA Harrisburg Saturday night, have Sunday off and return from the disabled list on Monday. ... New York SS Omar Quintanilla is hitless in 17 at-bats.
