Apr 30, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) points into the dugout after hitting a two run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
If Thursday afternoon was a deadline for Carlos Mendoza’s job, the Mets’ manager did little to help his case.
Reliever Luke Weaver blew a one-run New York lead in the top of the eighth inning by yielding a two-run home run to CJ Abrams, which lifted the Washington Nationals to a 5-4 rubber-game victory at Citi Field.
The Mets (10-21) appeared as though they had a rebuttal loaded up and ready to go when Juan Soto led off the bottom of the eighth with a double off the center field wall, but Mendoza pinch-hit the left-handed MJ Melendez, who hit a three-run home run and recorded his first-career sacrifice bunt earlier in the afternoon, for the newly recalled Austin Slater against former Met and southpaw reliever Richard Lovelady.
Slater grounded out to shortstop, unable to move Soto to third. Mark Vientos then lined out to second, and Tyrone Taylor flew out to left to end the threat.
Francisco Alvarez’s two-out double in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Mets some last-second life, but Ronny Mauricio struck out swinging on a full-count slider, clinching an 88th straight game that they lost when trailing after eight innings. They have now lost 17 of their last 20 games, including five of their last six.
Mets starter Freddy Peralta completed six innings for just the second time since his arrival in Queens, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with six strikeouts. Though two runs were not charged to him, they were created by his doing. After Jorbit Vivas singled with one out in the second inning, Nasim Nunez’s comebacker was knocked down by Peralta, but his throw to first was wide of Mark Vientos and skittered down the right-field line. Vivas scored, and Vivas was able to get to third. He came into score on Jacob Young’s two-out single.
Abrams drove in the Nationals’ third run of the afternoon with a one-out single in the third inning to score Luis Garcia Jr., who led off the frame with a double.
Melendez came up with an answer for the Mets in the bottom of the third when he launched his second home run of the season off Washington starter Miles Mikolas, turning on a high fastball that cleared the right-field fence to tie things up at three apiece.
New York took the lead in the bottom of the sixth after Soto walked and advanced to second on Melendez’s sacrifice bunt. Mark Vientos then doubled to right-center to score the Mets’ star. Soto went 2-for-3 on the day with a walk, and the lone out he made was a home run robbery by James Woods, who leaped high above the right-field wall to bring it back.
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