Lucas Duda was on Saturday night, and because of Duda, the New York Mets are a game back of the Washington Nationals in the NL East.
Duda hit two homers and a tie-breaking eighth-inning RBI double to provide the offense in a 3-2 New York win.
For the second straight night, the top two teams in the East played in a playoff-like atmosphere, with solid pitching putting runs at a premium. Joe Ross (6.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 6 K/1 BB) and All-Star Jacob deGrom (6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 7 K/1 BB) set the stage for someone to provide late-inning heroics.
That somebody ended up being Duda, who touched up Ross in the fourth for his 19th homer, then went deep again in the seventh off Ross to tie the game at 2-2.
Duda doubled home Curtis Granderson in the eighth off reliever Matt Thornton (1-1, 2.19 ERA).
Washington got both of its runs in the first on an Ian Desmond two-run single.
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Chris Graham
