The New York Mets delivered a wild, marathon victory on Monday night, outlasting the Washington Nationals 16-7 in a 12-inning slugfest at Nationals Park. After a seesaw contest that saw the lead change hands multiple times, the Mets erupted for 10 runs in the top of the 12th inning, turning a tense 6-6 tie into a resounding win and notching their sixth victory in seven games. It was a night that showcased timely hitting, clutch defense, and a much-needed spark from both established stars and fresh faces in the lineup.
Coming into the game, the Mets had been riding a wave of momentum after taking series from both the Detroit Tigers and their crosstown rival Yankees at Citi Field. That said, the road trip had been anything but smooth sailing before their return home, with the offense sputtering and injuries piling up. The latest blow came with the loss of Francisco Alvarez, who tore his meniscus and is expected to be sidelined for an extended period. Hayden Senger, called up to fill the roster spot, had yet to record a hit in his first six plate appearances but had managed to drive in a run—an early sign of the Mets’ resilience in the face of adversity.
Monday’s matchup against the Nationals, with Jake Irvin on the mound for Washington, didn’t seem destined for fireworks at first. Irvin, making his tenth start of the season, had struggled with a 1-4 record and a 5.91 ERA, but the Mets’ own starter, Christian Scott, also labored through four innings, giving up three earned runs on three walks and a hit batter. The early innings were a back-and-forth affair: the Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second, only to fall behind 3-1 after some timely Nationals hitting.
But the heart of the Mets’ order came alive as the game wore on. Brett Baty, who has been quietly turning his season around, delivered a monster 451-foot home run off Irvin in the fourth inning to pull the Mets within one. Baty, who entered the game with a .231 batting average, .305 OBP, and .343 slugging percentage, had been showing signs of improvement with a 131 wRC+ over his last 44 plate appearances. On Monday, he finished 2-for-6 with three RBIs, including a crucial two-run single off Paxton Schultz in the 12th that ignited the Mets’ historic rally.
“It’s crazy, man. Every day you see something new in baseball, right? And we’re seeing a lot right now,” manager Carlos Mendoza remarked after the game. “But I’m glad that we’re coming out on the good side of things.”
The Mets’ offensive outburst in the 12th was a true team effort. After Baty’s clutch single, Marcus Semien and rookie A.J. Ewing each chipped in with RBI singles to keep the inning rolling. Semien, who had been struggling earlier in the season, has found his groove lately, amassing 12 hits and a 130 wRC+ over the past 12 games. Ewing, meanwhile, has been a revelation since his call-up, boasting a 1.088 OPS in his first six games and leading the team in walks. His speed and defense have also been on display, including a key play in the 11th inning to nab the lead runner at second base and prevent further damage.
“This was a really competitive ball game the whole way through, and then we kind of broke it open there in the 12th,” Baty said. “It was awesome, just battling all night.”
Juan Soto, despite battling through minor ailments, contributed with a two-run single in the fifth to give the Mets a temporary lead. Soto’s recent stretch has seen him post a 116 wRC+, with three home runs, six RBIs, six walks, and eight runs scored over the past two weeks—a solid if not spectacular output from one of the game’s premier hitters. Mark Vientos, another key contributor, has led the team with 10 RBIs in the past 12 games, including 11 hits and two home runs, providing much-needed production in the heart of the order.
The game also marked a turning point for Bo Bichette, who has struggled mightily at the plate since joining the Mets. Entering Monday with just five singles in his last 52 plate appearances and a paltry 2 wRC+, Bichette finally broke through with a home run in the seventh—his first extra-base hit since April 28. The blast gave the Mets a 5-3 lead and offered a glimmer of hope that Bichette’s bat might be heating up at just the right time.
On the pitching side, the Mets’ bullpen was tested repeatedly. Brooks Raley and Tobias Myers navigated heavy traffic in the late innings, while Huascar Brazobán earned the win with two gritty innings of relief. “Even though they scored that run right there, it was basically two swinging bunts,” Mendoza noted of Brazobán’s outing. “He continues to get the job done, he continues to attack, he continues to get ground balls. The situation is never too big for him.”
The Nationals, to their credit, refused to go quietly. They tied the game twice, in the eighth and again in the 10th, capitalizing on a taxed Mets bullpen and some defensive miscues. But when the Mets batted around in the 12th, sending four extra hitters to the plate before the inning mercifully ended, the Nationals could only respond by putting a position player on the mound—a clear sign that the night belonged to New York.
The victory pushed the Mets to a 21-26 record, a modest but meaningful step forward for a team that has faced more than its share of adversity this season. Injuries have forced depth players like Vidal Bruján, MJ Melendez, and Austin Slater into larger roles, but the emergence of rookies like Ewing and Carson Benge—who has delivered a 157 wRC+ and two walk-off hits in the past five days—has injected new energy into the lineup.
With the spotlight shifting to the Knicks and the Mets flying under the radar, this stretch against divisional rivals like the Nationals and Marlins could be just what the team needs to keep building momentum. As Mendoza put it, “Every day you see something new in baseball.” For the Mets, Monday night was a reminder that in baseball, no lead is safe—and no season is over until the last out is recorded.