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Murphy leads Mets over Nationals

Aug 6, 2014 - 5:32 AM Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Daniel Murphy went 3-for-4 and knocked in a pair of runs in the New York Mets' 6-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

Murphy backed a rather shaky start out of Zack Wheeler (7-8), who gave up just one run but allowed seven hits and four walks in hard-earned 6 2/3 innings.

"His command wasn't there in the beginning of the game," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He continued to battle and stayed with it."

Wheeler also had an RBI, while David Wright, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Lucas Duda each drove in a run for the Mets, who had lost 10 of their last 11 to Washington.

Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez (6-8) was charged with four runs on six hits with six strikeouts for the NL East leaders.

"You have to pitch better," said Gonzalez. "That's all I can tell you. If you want to win this game, you have to pitch better than the other pitcher."

Murphy ripped a one-out triple down the right-field line in the first and trotted home when Wright knocked a single to left in the next at-bat.

Travis d'Arnaud doubled to begin the second, scoring later in the inning when Wheeler helped his own cause with a bloop single to right.

The Nationals got something going in the home second after Wheeler walked three of the first four batters he faced in the inning. The Mets right-hander uncorked a wild pitch against Jose Lobaton that allowed Adam LaRoche to cross home, but Washington couldn't add any from there.

New York maintained its lead after a nice defensive play by left fielder Eric Campbell. Jayson Werth doubled to lead off the sixth and attempted to score when LaRoche poked a single to left, where Campbell came up firing to get Werth at the plate. The play was reviewed to see if d'Arnaud allowed a sliding lane for the runner at home, which umpires ruled that he did.

New York loaded the bases in the seventh with one out and Murphy ripped a single under the glove of Asdrubal Cabrera at second to plate a pair for a 4-1 advantage. Drew Storen struck out Wright preceding an RBI single off the bat of Duda.

Nieuwenhuis, in a pinch-hit role, singled home a run in the eighth.

Game Notes

Gonzalez went 6-1 with a 2.45 ERA over his last previous starts against the Mets ... Wheeler, meanwhile, entered the contest with a 1-4 mark and 4.75 ERA in five career starts against Washington ... New York snapped its two-game skid ... Wright stole his sixth base of the season ... New York went 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position ... Washington went 2-for-9 with RISP and stranded seven on base.