Entering today’s salvage operation against the Washington Nationals, the Mets were looking to avoid another sweep as they opened the second half of the 2012 season by losing five straight games to division opponents.
R.A. Dickey and Gio Gonzalez, a pair of all-stars, took the mound today. Dickey set out to prove that he can retain his dominant stuff for the remainder of the season.
Washington outhit the Mets today 14-11, but that ultimately didn’t factor into the end result of today’s contest. The Mets cashed in when they needed it most and saved themselves from a sweep with an offensively charged 9-5 win.
The Mets struck early and often. David Wright put together in a five-rbi game that featured home runs number 13 and 14 on the year. Ike Davis also smacked his 14th in a 2-4 effort that lifts his average to .206.
One nice looking number is that the Mets stranded a mere nine runners on base today. This was very welcome offensive efficiency in a game in which the Nationals had a technical advantage when it came to reaching base.
Much appreciation is due to Mets pitching for ensuring that the Nats were stopped when they were poised for something big.
Despite allowing 10 hits, Dickey was relatively sharp, allowing four runs, three earned, over the course of 7.1 innings. He struck out five while walking just one in another quality start that propelled him to a 13-1 record on the season, as he continues to dominate baseball in that department.
After the recent bullpen blow-ups, it was almost unscathed today in a solid holding effort.
These last six road games have produced a miserable 1-5 record for the Mets. They will move on Friday as they return to Citi Field to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets took three of four against the Dodgers last time around on the west coast.
