The New York Mets took down 2016 NL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, led by sparkling performances from Jacob deGrom and Travis d’Arnaud.

A three-run second inning against the New York Mets‘ Jacob deGrom was all the Washington Nationals could muster on the evening, as the righty struck out 12 batters over his seven innings of work.

  • Final Score: Mets 7 (9-13), Nationals 5 (16-7)
  • W: Jacob deGrom (1-1)
  • L: Max Scherzer (3-2)
  • S: Josh Edgin (1)
  • NL, Final, Box Score
  • Nationals Park, Washington D.C.

d’Bombs from d’Arnaud

Travis d’Arnaud came into the day with just a .213 average, two home runs and 10 RBIs to his name. The long-time catching prospect jump-started his season tonight though, hitting two-run and three-run shots off 2016 National League Cy Young winner Max Scherzer.

d’Arnaud’s five RBIs out of the eight hole in the lineup helped the Mets grab an early 5-3 lead in the fourth inning, taking some of the pressure off of deGrom after he allowed three runs in the second himself.

This inspiring performance for d’Arnaud tonight may cause a move up in the lineup from manager Terry Collins, with Lucas Duda and Yoenis Cespedes out with injuries, along with a severely struggling Curtis Granderson still occupying a prime spot in the order.

deGrom’s Let Loose

After being held back a bit by Collins to open the season, deGrom was allowed to go deeper tonight, as the long-haired righty tossed 112 pitches over seven innings of three-run ball, including six hits and a walk allowed, while striking out 12.

This was yet another gritty performance for deGrom, this time against the NL East leading Nationals in their park — a trend that the 29-year-old has been consistently showcasing since his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the Mets’ 2015 World Series run.

deGrom also collected a single in three at-bats tonight against his counterpart, Scherzer.

What Else to Know from Tonight

Jose Reyes hot streak continued, as he went 2-for-4 with two runs and a walk on the evening — possibly allowing Collins to move Michael Conforto to a more run-producing spot in the lineup, with Reyes again at the head of the order.

On the contrary, Granderson continues to start 2017 on the wrong foot, as the lefty went 0-for-5 tonight, and is just 1-for-22 going back to last Friday. With the injury to Cespedes, he’ll likely continue to occupy a spot in the lineup on most days, but his leash is certainly getting shorter.

T.J. Rivera filled in at first base nicely tonight, grabbing a double, single and walk over four at-bats. Batting ahead of d’Arnaud sure had its benefits on this eve.

The bullpen struggled to hold another lead against the Nats’ powerful lineup, with Jerry Blevins and Addison Reed both allowing runs, and Jeurys Familia allowing three hits in the ninth before getting pulled for southpaw Josh Edgin, who got Bryce Harper to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded.

Up Next for Tomorrow

The Mets are taking on the Nationals again at 1:05 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, with Zack Wheeler and Stephen Strasburg due to face each other.

Chris recently graduated with a Journalism degree from Montclair State University. Baseball is his love and he hopes to bring back some of the old-school popularity to the game. Chris Thompson covers the NY Jets and NY Mets for Elite Sports NY. You can interact with him on Twitter @Time2Topher.