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Nationals halt Mets' streak at six

Apr 29, 2011 - 5:37 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Livan Hernandez threw eight strong innings to lead the Nationals over the Mets, 4-3, salvaging the finale of a three-game series.

Hernandez (3-2) allowed three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and a walk while striking out five. He also had an RBI and a run scored.

Ian Desmond went 2-for-4 with a triple and a homer for Washington, which had dropped three straight and six of its previous seven games.

"It's nice to be back. Watching the team the last two days, it seemed like they needed a little spark. I came here hoping to do that, and I did," said Desmond.

Chris Capuano (2-2) took the loss, lasting 5 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on 10 hits while striking out two to snap the Mets' six-game winning streak.

Jayson Werth got the scoring started in the third with a ground-rule double that brought home Hernandez, who singled and moved to second on Rick Ankiel's base hit to give Washington the lead.

Consecutive groundouts by Daniel Murphy and David Wright scored Jose Reyes from third after Reyes led off the fourth with a double.

The Nationals took the lead right back in their half when Jerry Hairston Jr. singled to score Desmond after Desmond's one-out triple. Hairston then moved to third on an Ivan Rodriguez single. Hernandez followed with a bunt that was grabbed by catcher Josh Thole, who failed to place the tag on Hairston as he crossed the plate.

New York loaded the bases in the fifth with one out after back-to-back singles by Ike Davis and Thole and an error by Rodriguez on a bunt by Capuano. Reyes followed with a sac fly to center that brought home Davis and made the score 3-2.

The scoring continued in the bottom of the fifth when Desmond hit a two-out home run over the left-center field wall to extend the Nats' lead to two runs.

The Mets got back to within a run in the sixth when Davis doubled to score Carlos Beltran, but that was the last of the offense they could muster against Hernandez.

Drew Storen entered the game in the ninth and got two quick outs before allowing a single to Thole. Chin-Lung Hu replaced Thole as a pinch-runner and stole second to get the tying run in scoring position, but Willie Harris struck out to end the game and give Storen his fourth save of the year.

"We had our chances, and 'Cap' kept giving us a shot to win the ball game, and it was one of those things where the timely hit was off," Thole admitted.

Game Notes

Davis extended his hit streak to 10 games...New York went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base...Hernandez only threw 66 of his 105 pitches for strikes.