Mets Earn First Shutout And Sweep Nationals, Move Into Wild Card Position

The New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 7-0 Thursday, completing a three-game sweep at home. With a 47-45 record, New York is now in the final Wild Card spot, the first time the team has been in playoff position since early May.

After a disastrous 0-5 start and a cataclysmically bad month of May, the Mets went on a wildly unexpected run in June, winning 16 of 24 games to catapult themselves back into playoff contention with the best offense in baseball. After a frustrating stretch in early July, the team is back to its winning ways and took care of business against a weaker Nationals team in three games this week.

Outfielder Brandon Nimmo continued his torrid hot streak Thursday, hitting a three-RBI double in the fifth inning to kickstart a five-run rally. Slugger J.D. Martinez had a great day as well, going 3-for-3 with one RBI, two runs and a walk.

On the mound, shaky Mets starter David Peterson escaped a first-inning jam but eventually settled down and threw six scoreless innings. The bullpen, which has been wildly erratic since Edwin Diaz’ 10-game suspension last month, survived a few scares but kept the Nationals in check through the final three frames. It was the Mets’ first shutout victory of the season. They were the last team in MLB to earn one.

After years of elite pitching and mediocre offense, the Mets have completely flipped the script in the 2024 season. Nimmo and Martinez, along with the likes of Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez and Mark Vientos, have formed one of the most potent lineups in the game. Jose Iglesias and Luis Torrens have been revelatory additions to the roster and a credit to the team’s new front office leaders. Slugger Pete Alonso, ironically the team’s only All-Star, has not quite kept pace with many of his teammates but remains a centerpiece.

On the mound, however, New York’s pitching staff has not yet earned anyone’s trust. Reliever Adam Ottavino is a walking heart attack and hot hands Reed Garrett and Jake Diekman have lost form since encouraging starts to the season. Peterson is one of several spot starters that struggle to consistently go beyond five innings. Ace pitcher Kodai Senga has not yet returned from injury.

All is not lost, however. Luis Severino and Sean Manaea have both been consistent starters all season, and Jose Quintana has caught fire in recent starts as well. In the bullpen, Diaz has bounced back from a tough start, injury and suspension to regain some confidence as the team’s closer. Adrian Houser and Jose Butto, who both had failed stints as starters earlier in the season, have found new roles as long relievers.

After cutting bait on several massive contracts last season, New York was always going to be an imperfect team in 2024. That being said, with a tense Wild Card fight on their hands with the Padres and Cardinals, the Mets will likely be surprise buyers at the trade deadline. Importing pitching of any sort could transform this squad from a ‘team of the moment’ to a legitimate playoff contender if the bats can stay hot.