On Thursday, The New York Mets offense exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come back from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Washington Nationals 11-9. The Mets had at least one kind of each hit to compete the cycle for the inning and added two walks to the mix.
The nine runs scored on a Wilmer Flores single, Johnny Monell double, Eric Campbell ground-rule double, Matt den Dekker triple, Alex Castellanos two-run home run (1), Brandon Allen two-run single, and a Matt Reynolds single. They did the damage off three different Nationals pitchers.
The Nationals pulled to within two runs in the ninth thanks to a grand slam from right fielder Clint Robinson. The home run (1) was first ruled in play as it appeared to hit off the wall. However, the sign that Robinson's drive hit is behind the fence, so umpires correctly ruled the hit a grand slam.
Robinson's shot followed a bases-loaded, no-out walk to Cutter Dykstra for the first run of the inning. The Nationals got another hit but then went down three straight to end the game.
The two teams traded leads early with the Mets' Curtis Granderson starting the scoring in the first with a one-out solo shot (1). Michael Taylor then gave Washington the lead with a two-run double in the third. Michael Cuddyer tied the game in the bottom of the third at 2-2 with a solo shot (1) of his own.
Washington took the 4-2 lead after scoring single runs in the fifth (Tony Gwynn, Jr. RBI groundout) and sixth (Danny Espinosa home run, 1) before the Mets broke out their bats in a big way.
Matt Bowman (W: 1-0, 0.00 ERA) benefitted from the big inning for the win. He pitched two innings, allowing just one hit. Carlos Torres finished the game but not before giving up Robinson's grand slam upon relieving Darlo Alvarez, who walked three men and allowed a hit. Alvarez was charged with the first four runs of the inning without retiring a batter.
Jacob deGrom started and pitched three innings for New York, allowing two earned runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out five.
Mitch Lively (L: 0-2, 27.00 ERA) took the loss, getting charged with the first three earned runs in the eighth, but Eric Fornataro allowed the other six.
On Friday, the Mets will host an Atlanta Braves split squad, and Washington will host the Houston Astros.