Game 104: Mets at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

As if this afternoon's 11-0 thrashing at the hands of the Mets wasn't bad enough, now the Nationals have to come right back out and try to get back on track against All-Star Game starter Matt Harvey. With Bryce Harper out of the lineup.

Yep, Harper is sitting this one out after aggravating his left knee diving for Daniel Murphy's liner in the fifth inning of Game 1, according to Davey Johnson. He stayed in the game until the eighth, at which point he was replaced by pinch-runner Scott Hairston. So Steve Lombardozzi, who has five hits over the last 24 hours, gets the start in left field.

Ross Ohlendorf makes the spot start for the Nationals, perhaps an audition to see if he could join the rotation on a permanent basis with Taylor Jordan perhaps headed back to the minors in advance of his post-Tommy John shutdown. The veteran righty will have to be in top form tonight.

After a debacle like that first game, do the Nats even want to get back out on the field? "Yeah," Johnson said. "I'm actually glad we got another one tonight." We'll see how this plays out.

Updates to come...

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS (Game 2)
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 183
Weather: Mostly clear, 81 degrees, Wind 5 mph out to CF

NATIONALS (49-54)
CF Denard Span
2B Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
RF Jayson Werth
SS Ian Desmond
LF Steve Lombardozzi
C Wilson Ramos
RHP Ross Ohlendorf

METS (46-53)
CF Juan Lagares
2B Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
RF Marlon Byrd
1B Josh Satin
SS Justin Turner
C John Buck
LF Andrew Brown
RHP Matt Harvey

UMPIRES
HP Kerwin Danley (cc)
1B Lance Berkman
2B Vic Carapazza
3B Dave Rackley

7:06 p.m. — We are underway with a strike from Ross Ohlendorf to Juan Lagares.

7:20 p.m. — It was a bit of a laborious top of the first, but Ohlendorf got out of it without suffering any damage. He gave up an infield single to Juan Lagares, with Ian Desmond making a spectacular play just to get to the ball deep in the hole at shortstop, and a one-out walk to David Wright. But Ohlendorf struck out Marlon Byrd and Josh Satin to end the inning.

7:26 p.m. — A 1-2-3 bottom of the first for Matt Harvey, but there was a real scary moment for the Mets when Justin Turner and Andrew Brown collided chasing down Denard Span's shallow flyball down the left field line. It looked like the teammates' heads collided, with Turner going down hard and remaining down for a while. He stayed in the game, but we'll see if he remains out there. Scoreless after one.

7:39 p.m. — Well, at least we don't have to worry about Harvey throwing a no-hitter tonight. For that, you can thank Jayson Werth, who singled to right-center in the bottom of the second. Of course, he was immediately erased by Ian Desmond on a 6-4-3 double play. Scoreless after two.

7:55 p.m. — Hey, it's a runner in scoring position! Wilson Ramos doubles down the left-field line with one out in the bottom of the third, putting the Nats in business. Except, this being the Nats, they're not really in business just because they have a man in scoring position. Ohlendorf struck out on three pitches, and then Span struck out to end the inning. So they're 0-for-2 tonight and 0-for-6 overall today with RISP. The results of those six at-bats: K, 4-3, P5, K, K, K. Still 0-0 after three.

8:09 p.m. — And the Mets are on the board in the top of the fourth, getting a couple of doubles from Josh Satin and John Buck (the latter over Lombardozzi's head in left field). So it's 1-0 tonight and 12-0 for the day.

8:18 p.m. — Make it four scoreless innings for Harvey on 44 total pitches. The Nats have yet to score in 13 innings of baseball today.

8:39 p.m. — Breaking news: The Nats have scored a run! Repeat: The Nats have scored a run! (Note: The run did not score as a result of a hit. It came via a Murphy error trying to turn a ridiculous 6-4-3 double play.) But the Nats will take 'em any way they can right now. It's a 1-1 game after five.

8:51 p.m. — In all seriousness, Ross Ohlendorf has been a godsend for the Nationals. He's allowed one run over six innings tonight, striking out eight. And his season ERA is now down to 1.93 ERA. What a pleasant development this season. Still 1-1, middle of the sixth.

9:13 p.m. — Holy moly, Ross Ohlendorf. After issuing a two-out walk to Murphy in the top of the seventh, he found himself facing Wright with two on in a 1-1 game, having thrown 113 pitches. And not a soul was stirring in the bullpen. So what did Ohlendorf do? He got Wright to pop out on the first pitch, ending the inning and keeping this a 1-1 game at the stretch. Phenomenal work tonight by the right-hander.

9:27 p.m. — A scoreless eighth for Tyler Clippard. So it remains 1-1 as we go to the bottom of the eighth.

9:35 p.m. — A little excitement in the bottom of the eighth, as Bryce Harper stepped to the plate to pinch-hit. Harvey tried to get him on a 99 mph fastball at the eyes, but Harper wouldn't bite. Instead, he got him to ground out on an 88 mph slider. So we go to the ninth in a 1-1 game, with Rafael Soriano in.

9:50 p.m. — Soriano tried his best to blow it, putting a man on third with one out. But he somehow wriggled his way out of the jam, so we go to the bottom of the ninth, the Nats and Mets still tied 1-1. It'll be Rendon, Zimmerman and LaRoche against LaTroy Hawkins.

9:58 p.m. — Ryan Zimmerman, ladies and gentlemen. His 9th career walk-off homer, his first since 2011. Nats win 2-1.