WASHINGTON - Behind home runs from Michael Conforto, Kelly Johnson, and Yoenis Cespedes, along with a strong outing from their bullpen, the New York Mets surged back from a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Washington Nationals, 8-5.

In a game where Mets’ starting pitcher Jon Niese needed to have a strong outing he delivered that in the early innings, allowing only two hits in the first three innings pitched and digging himself out of trouble with a couple walks he had.

The Mets’ offense also got hot early. In the second inning Michael Conforto took a first pitch fastball from Max Scherzer into the left field stands giving New York a 1-0 lead. A few batters later Kelly Johnson came to the plate and also took a fastball from Scherzer into the stands making it 2-0, Mets. The next inning it was Yoenis Cespedes' turn as he hit a towering fly ball to left field that just squeaked its way out of the park and all of a sudden the Nationals were looking at a tough hill to climb down 3-0.

Niese pitched a perfect second and third inning giving up no runs but it was that one big inning once again that took him out of the game. Ryan Zimmerman led off the fourth inning for Washington with a single and Yunel Escobar followed that with a soft groundball and a single of his own to Wright at third base. With two men on and no outs, Niese walked Ian Desmond and that brought up the perennial Met killer, Wilson Ramos, to the plate with the bases-loaded. Ramos, like he has so many times against the Mets, came through in a big spot, launching a grand slam to give the Nationals a 4-3 lead.

Staying in the game, Niese then gave up a single to Michael Taylor and after a Scherzer sacrifice bunt, Jayson Werth knocked Taylor home with a RBI double, and promptly knocked Niese out of the game.

Carlos Torres would replace him and he would get Anthony Rendon to strike out and Zimmerman to pop out ending the fourth inning with Washington leading 5-3.

It was now up to the Mets’ bullpen and they couldn’t have pitched any better.

After they got a run back in the top of the fifth inning on a Granderson double, Torres would leave the game with a strained calf and that brought in Erik Goeddel from the bullpen to face the opposing pitcher, Scherzer, with runners at second and third and two outs. Goeddel would get Scherzer to ground out sharply to Wilmer Flores at second base to end the inning.

Cespedes led off the sixth inning with a double and was advanced to third base on a balk call to Washington’s pitcher Max Scherzer. Travis d’Arnaud would then hit a fly ball deep enough to Werth in left field that would score Cespedes from third and tie the game, 5-5.

Both Goeddel and Dario Alvarez got through a clean bottom half of the sixth and the Mets would again take the lead the ensuing inning, and this time keep it for good.

Blake Treinen entered the game on the mound for the Nationals to begin the seventh inning and Wilmer Flores welcomed him with a single to right field. Ruben Tejada then reached on a fielder’s choice and Washington manager Matt Williams took Treinen out of the game. Felipe Rivero took over and after he conceded a walk to Granderson, he too was quickly replaced, this time by Casey Janssen. Janssen, though, didn’t fair much better than his teammates. David Wright drove a line drive right out of the reach of Desmond’s glove at shortstop that scored Tejada from second base and gave New York a 6-5 advantage.

Again, after just one batter, Williams removed his pitcher, Janssen, from the game and handed the ball off to the lefty Matt Thornton to face Daniel Murphy. Murphy inflicted more pain on the Nationals’ bullpen with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Granderson from third. The next batter, Cespedes, then deposited a RBI double that one hopped the right field wall that scored Wright from first base and with an emphatic fist pump the Mets now led 8-5.

Hansel Robles would come out of the Mets’ bullpen and retire the six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth inning. Jeurys Familia then struck out three straight Nationals after giving up a leadoff hit to Werth in the ninth, and the New York Mets brought their NL East lead back up to five games.

The Mets and Nationals will continue their three-game series tomorrow night in D.C. when Matt Harvey (12-7, 2.60 ERA) takes the mound against Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.38 ERA).

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About the author
Karl  Capen
Head MLB Editor. Die hard sports fan and avid baseball guru. Follow me on Twitter @Capen316