NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets don’t talk much about home runs. “We preach in our meetings just to not try to do too much and chip away,” Mark Canha said, adding “that’s what’s fun, getting hits.” Add this one to a growing list of joy rides in Flushing.
Canha led off with the first of his four hits, Starling Marte followed with a homer against Patrick Corbin and the Mets rolled from there, totaling 17 hits in a 10-0 blowout of the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.
Jeff McNeil had three hits, Eduardo Escobar homered, Francisco Lindor extended his RBI streak to nine games and every Mets starter had at least one knock as New York followed a 13-5 thrashing against Washington with another laugher.
The NL East-leading Mets have won a season-best five straight, all during this six-game homestand, which ends Wednesday against the Nats. They have at least 16 hits in consecutive games for the second time in a week. They hadn’t reached that total in two straight games previously since 2018. The Mets are hitting .340 (100 for 294) as a team over their past eight games.
“I hope they keep pushing the way we are,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Making people defend you and having lady luck shine on you sometimes by putting the ball all in play.”
Corbin (1-8) allowed seven runs and 12 hits, the last a screaming comebacker by Tomás Nido that knocked over the pitcher like Charlie Brown. Corbin appeared OK, but manager Dave Martinez promptly pulled him anyway. The left-hander completed 4 1/3 innings, and his ERA rose to 6.96.
“I think we got to do a better job of just, you know, understanding what we need to do to get these hitters out,” Nats manager Dave Martinez said. “So that’s something we’ll talk about tomorrow.”
Trevor Williams (1-3) pitched five shutout innings against a Nationals lineup missing Nelson Cruz, who sat out with a left ankle contusion. Williams got his first victory as a Met after being acquired last July.
The Nats had six hits, three of them by Dee Strange-Gordon. Canha tied his career-high for hits, last achieved as a rookie on Aug. 18, 2015, with Oakland. His single and Marte’s two-run homer the next at-bat gave New York a second straight hot start — the Mets led 12-4 after four innings Monday.
Marte’s drive was caught by fan Alan Alcantara, who reached over a railing and snagged it barehanded with his 1-year-old son, Levi, cradled in his other arm.
Luis Guillorme added a two-run single in the third inning, Canha had a two-run double in the fifth and Lindor added a two-run single moments later. Lindor’s nine-game RBI streak is the third-longest in franchise history behind Mike Piazza’s record 15-game run in 2000.
Nationals shortstop Alcides Escobar was helped off the field by a trainer after making a diving stop on J.D. Davis’ grounder in the fourth inning. Martinez said he had a right hamstring injury and would be evaluated Wednesday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals:
- RHP Joe Ross will have season-ending Tommy John surgery, clouding his future with Washington in his final year under contract. …
- RHP Stephen Strasburg will make his first minor league rehab start with Triple-A Rochester on Friday. Strasburg has been out since last June following surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. …
- RHP Jordan Weems and LHP Francisco Perez were called up from Triple-A.
- RHP Andres Machado was demoted to Rochester and RHP Austin Voth was designated for assignment. Perez was sent back to Triple-A after the game.
UP NEXT
Minor league left-hander Evan Lee was in Washington’s clubhouse Tuesday and could make a spot start Wednesday, which would be his major league debut. RHP Carlos Carrasco (5-1, 3.98) is slated to pitch for the Mets.
