Mets fall to Nationals 12-6 as 9th-inning collapse erases late-game tying home run

The New York Mets lost to the Washington Nationals 12-6 on Monday at Clover Park, a game that was tied at 6 heading into the 9th inning before Douglas Orellana came apart and Washington scored 6 unanswered runs to close it out.

David Peterson took the ball first and gave up 4 runs on 5 hits over 4 innings, including a 2-run double by Daylen Lile to left-center in the 1st that scored 2 immediately. Peterson worked out of his own trouble in the 2nd and 3rd, but a 2-out, 2-run single by Riley Adams in the 4th tied the game at 4. Devin Williams followed with a clean inning, then Christian Scott came on in the 6th and gave up the go-ahead run without recording an out on a batted ball. CJ Abrams led off with a triple to right, then scored on a wild pitch. Scott finished the inning but left the Mets trailing 5-4. He took the loss.

The Mets had chances to stay in it. Ronny Mauricio went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, doubling in Francisco Alvarez in the 1st and singling in a run in the 3rd to give the Mets a brief 4-2 lead. Alvarez himself doubled in Carson Benge in the 1st and finished 1-for-3 with a walk. Cristian Pache hit a solo home run to left-center in the 2nd to put the Mets ahead 3-2, the only homer the Mets managed on the day.

Christian Arroyo and the Mets Ties It in the 8th

Christian Arroyo provided the loudest moment of the afternoon. With 2 on in the 8th and the Mets trailing 6-4, he pulled a 2-run homer to left field that tied the game. It was a legitimate at-bat, a fly ball that cleared the wall, and it sent the game to the 9th knotted at 6.

The 9th unraveled fast. Orellana entered with a runner on second after James Wood doubled to lead off. Joey Wiemer doubled him in immediately to make it 7-6. A hit-by-pitch, a flyout, and a wild pitch made it 8-6. Then Marcus Brown walked, stole second, and Viandel Pena singled 2 in to make it 10-6. Murphy Stehly singled in another, and Harry Ford capped it with an RBI single before Gregori Louis finally got the final out. 6 runs, 5 hits, 1 wild pitch, and it was over.

Cionel Pérez, Clayton Beeter, and Julian Fernández each threw a scoreless inning in between. Jose Rojas, Vidal Bruján, Jared Young, JT Schwartz, AJ Salgado, Colin Houck, and Hayden Senger all saw time as the roster cycled through the back half. Kevin Villavicencio doubled in the 9th but the Mets went down in order otherwise.

The Mets fall to 11-9 in spring. They return to action Tuesday.