Nationals jump ahead early, ride bullpen arms to win over Mets

Josh Bell homered and drove in two runs to help lift the host Washington Nationals to a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday.
Dylan Crews also had an RBI double and scored twice for the Nationals and Drew Millas had an RBI triple.
Rookie Brad Lord (4-6) improved to 2-0 in his last three starts despite allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Cole Henry worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning and Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Clayton Beeter retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Jose Ferrer secured his third save after inducing Luis Torrens to ground into a game-ending double play.
New York’s Brett Baty homered in his second consecutive contest and Jeff McNeil added a two-run double for the second straight day.
Pete Alonso added an RBI double for the Mets, who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt.
Washington benefited from a catcher’s interference call en route to loading the bases in the third inning before Crews scored the game’s first run as CJ Abrams legged out an infield single. Robert Hassell III then scored on Bell’s sacrifice fly to center field to stake the Nationals to a 2-0 lead.
Washington doubled the advantage in the fourth after Crews ripped a double off Kodai Senga (7-5) to plate Paul DeJong before trotting home on Millas’ triple to right field.
Baty put New York on the board in the fifth inning after depositing a 2-2 fastball from Lord over the wall in right-center field.
The Nationals regained their four-run advantage in the fifth after Bell sent a 2-1 cutter from Senga over the wall in right-center field.
Francisco Lindor scored on Alonso’s double into the right-field corner in the sixth inning and McNeil followed with a two-run double to left to chase Lord.
Cole Henry relieved Lord and promptly loaded the bases before inducing Cedric Mullins to fly out and Torrens to ground out to end the threat.
Senga yielded five runs (four earned) on six hits in five-plus innings to fall to 0-2 in seven starts since returning from the injury list following a strained right hamstring.