Mets tumble to 17th loss in 20 games, Nationals win 5-4 on Abrams' go-ahead, 2-run homer in 8th

TL;DR

The Washington Nationals defeated the New York Mets 5-4, marking the Mets' 17th loss in 20 games. CJ Abrams hit a crucial two-run homer in the eighth inning to secure the victory.

Key points

Mets lost to Nationals 5-4
CJ Abrams hit a two-run homer in the eighth
Mets have lost 17 of their last 20 games
New York's record is 10-21, the worst in MLB
Mets had the highest payroll in MLB at $358.4 million

New York MetsWashington NationalsCJ Abrams

NEW YORK (AP) — CJ Abrams hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals beat the Mets 5-4 Thursday, dealing reeling New York its 17th loss in 20 games. James Wood robbed Juan Soto of a home run with a leaping catch at the right-field wall in the first inning and Washington dropped the Mets to a major league-worst 10-21. New York's .323 winning percentage through April is its fourth-lowest behind starts in 1962 (3-13), 1964 (2-10) and 1981 (4-10). New York, which opened with the season with the major leagues' highest payroll at $358.4 million, went 3-6 on its homestand and headed to California for a nine-game trip. After overcoming a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead on MJ Melendez's three-run homer in the third off Miles Mikolas and Mark Vientos' RBI double in the sixth against Mitchell Parker (1-0), the Mets lost a game in which they were ahead for the 10th time this year. Luis García Jr. singled on the first pitch of the eighth from Luke Weaver (2-1) and Daylen Lile beat out the relay throw to avoid a double-play grounder. Abrams drove a hanging changeup 403 feet to right-center. got four outs for his second save. He retired on a flyout in the eighth that stranded Soto on second and struck out on a full-count slider for the final out with at second. Washington went ahead 2-0 in the first. raced home from first after pitcher threw the ball wildly past first on Nasim Nuñez’s comebacker and Nuñez came home on ’s single. Abrams added an RBI single in the third.

Q&A

What was the final score of the Mets vs. Nationals game?

The final score was 5-4 in favor of the Washington Nationals.

Who hit the game-winning home run for the Nationals?

CJ Abrams hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning.

What is the Mets' current record after this loss?

The New York Mets have a record of 10-21, which is the worst in the major leagues.