Stephen Strasburg Improves to 12-0 as Nationals Beat Mets

The Washington Nationals and New York Mets are meeting in a big four game series between the National League East leaders July 7th to 10th to wrap up the schedule before the All Star break. The Mets won the July 7th game 9-7 behind three home runs. The July 8th game featured a pitching matchup between the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard (9-3) and the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg (11-0).

Syndergaard was not at his best, leaving the game with arm fatigue in the fifth inning. He allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings, which was all the scoring the Nationals needed as they won 3-1. Syndergaard was selected for the All Star team but likely won’t play; the break will give his arm some much needed rest.

Strasburg, on the other hand, continued to dominate. He allowed just one run in seven innings en route to his 12th victory of the season. It’s the first time a National League starter has won his first 12 decisions since Hall of Famer Rube Marquard started 18-0 for the 1912 New York Giants. Marquard won a career high 26 games that year, finishing 26-11. The Giants won the National League pennant that year, but lost to the Boston Red Sox four games to three in the World Series.

The Nationals improved to 52-36 with the victory, and moved to four games in front of the Mets in the N.L. East race. They followed that up with a 6-1 victory on July 9th, to move five games up on the Mets. Former Met Daniel Murphy led the way against his old team, going 3 for 4 at the plate with a home run and four RBIs. Murphy was 6 for 13 with two homers and eight RBIs in the first three games of the series.