Back-to-back, still a run short

Friday night in Washington, and the Mets kept coming back until there was nowhere left to come back to.

Nationals 7, Mets 6. Mark Vientos doubled home a run in the first. The lead lasted until the bottom half. The Mets took it back in the third, 3–2, and then gave up four in the bottom of the inning. Jonathan Pintaro threw wild pitches, runs came home, and the night tilted for good.

The fifth was the best of it. Bo Bichette homered to center, his 18th. Two outs later Carson Benge homered to right, his 20th, and became the first rookie in Mets history with 20 home runs and 20 steals in one season. A kid in his first year did something nobody in that uniform had ever done. It deserved a better night around it.

Francisco Alvarez's sacrifice fly in the eighth made it 7–6. That was as close as it got. A.J. Ewing was ejected in the eighth. Josiah Gray closed the ninth for his first career save.

The loss made it official: last place in the National League East, the first time since 2003. The Mets are 73–87. #LGM