The New York Mets scored four in the ninth to break open a tight game, and Jacob deGrom struck out eight in a solid six-inning effort to defeat the Washington Nationals, 7-2, on Tuesday.
The win even series between the top two teams in the National League East, with the rubber game in the mid-week series coming on Wednesday.
deGrom (10-6, 2.18 ERA) went six innings, giving up two runs on three hits. Nats rookie Joe Ross (2-2, 2.70 ERA) didn’t give up a hit until the fourth, and took the tough-luck loss, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits in six and a third innings, striking out four without issuing a walk.
The Mets touched up Nationals reliever Tanner Roark for four runs in a third of an inning of work in the ninth.
Wilson Ramos hit a two-run homer off deGrom in the fifth to account for the Nats offense.
The win puts the Mets (49-45) two games out of the Nationals (50-42) in the NL East.