Nationals 9 - 0 Mets
Final
  for this game

Gonzalez confounds Mets in blowout victory

Sep 10, 2013 - 6:32 AM Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - With a season-high tying five home runs and another masterful performance by Gio Gonzalez against the New York Mets, the Washington Nationals earned a easy 9-0 win on Monday at Citi Field.

Backed by plenty of offense, Gonzalez (10-6) effortlessly carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Zach Lutz broke up the bid on the first pitch he saw at the start of the frame.

He bounced one towards first, just past the diving reach of Adam LaRoche, and it clipped the chalk for a fair ball and gave New York its only hit.

The Nationals left-hander went on to throw a complete game and struck out eight with two walks to win his third straight start and fifth consecutive over New York.

"All three pitches were right where I wanted them to be," said Gonzalez. "My arm felt great. It was the first I've felt like that in a long time."

Denard Span pushed his hit streak to 20 games, going 3-for-5 and beginning a barrage of Washington home runs. Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth, Tyler Moore and Wilson Ramos also went deep in the Nats' fifth win in six games.

Carlos Torres (3-4) gave up four of the homers, tagged for six runs in all over four innings.

Span ripped a screaming liner over the wall in right to start the game, and Zimmerman followed with a blast of his own immediately after to quickly put the Nationals ahead 2-0.

Torres then failed to keep Werth in the park two innings later. After Span singled and Zimmerman walked, Werth demolished a first-pitch offering deep into the stands in left center to create a five-run cushion.

The lead for Washington was six thanks to Moore's homer to begin the fourth. Mets manager Terry Collins had seen enough and sent Greg Burke out to start the fifth, but the change didn't help. The submarine hurler walked a pair with two out before serving up a three-run blast to Ramos, making it 9-0.

Gonzalez had retired 17 straight after walking Daniel Murphy in the first, and was nine outs from history after whiffing Eric Young for his seventh strikeout.

Lutz would deny him with his a single to begin the seventh, but Gonzalez went on to finish a dominating 110-pitch effort by setting down nine of the final 10 batters he faced.

"Fortunately, we put a ball in play where no one was at so we go home at least knowing we didn't get no-hit," said Collins.

Game Notes

It was Gonzalez's second career shutout ... Werth and Moore both had two hits ... In Washington's last visit to Citi Field on June 30, it clubbed the Mets by a 13-2 count ... Lutz worked a walk in the ninth inning ... The Mets placed pitcher Scott Rice and first baseman Ike Davis on the 60-day disabled list prior to the game. They also selected the contract of pitcher Aaron Harang and catcher Juan Centeno from Las Vegas and recalled outfielder Mike Baxter from the Triple-A affiliate.






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