August 1st 2015 -- Mets 3, Nationals 2

Saturday night at Citi Field, Yoenis Cespedes arrived, but Lucas Duda carried the load going 3 for 3 with 2 homers and 3 RBI as the Mets beat the Nationals 3-2.  Jacob deGrom started for the Mets and had to struggle, but held the Mets in the game.  The Nats took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1^st on a broken bat two run single by Ian Desmond.  deGrom and the Met bullpen held the Nats at bay the rest of the way.  Meanwhile, Lucas Duda chipped away. Duda stroked his first solo shot, his 19^th a bomb to center field, in the bottom of the 3^rd to cut the lead to 2-1.  In the 7^th, Duda connected with an opposite field homer, his 20^th on the year to tie the game at 2.  In the 8th Curtis Granderson led off with a double. With 1 out, Cespedes was intentionally walked to get to Duda.  Then against lefty Matt Thorton Duda hit a double to left scoring Granderson with the eventual game winner.  deGrom went 6 allowing 6 hits the 2 runs (earned) walking 1 and striking out 7.  Bobby Parnell and Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless 7^th and 8^th, Jeurys Familia pitched a 1-2-3 9^th to snap his save drought and notch his 28^th of the year.  Robles gets the win in relief he’s now 3-2. Thorton falls to 1-1.  Duda is scorching hot now with 8 homer in his past 8 games with 8 of his last 9 hits being the long ball.  Cespedes in his debut went 0 for 3 with a walk.  Kelly Johnson went 2 for 4.  The Mets have taken the first two games of this three game set with the Nationals, now pulling to 1 game for first place in the NL east. Overall the Mets are 54-50 and 37-18 at home.  Sunday night the Mets look for the sweep and a tie in the NL East. Noah Syndergaard (5-5 2.70) goes for the Mets, Jordan Zimmerman (8-6 3.36) goes for Washington.