MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service, MASN has got all the bases covered.
Get the latest breaking news direct to your phone with our mobile texting service.
Welcome to MASN's discussion space for tonight's Nationals-Mets game at Nationals Park. I'll have updates and analysis throughout the night, and if you want to jump into the conversation, leave your thoughts in the comments section. I'll respond to you there.
7:14: Not a good start for Yunesky Maya in his big-league debut. He gave up singles to Luis Hernandez and Carlos Beltran, then Ike Davis blasted an up-in-the-zone fastball to center for a three-run homer. Maya just walked Mike Hessman, and threw eight of his 18 pitches for strikes before Steve McCatty came out for his first mound meeting. 3-0 Mets in the first.
7:29: This isn't shaping up to be a long night for Maya; the Mets have two more hits against him already in the second, and they lead 4-0. Maya's fastball has been flat so far, and the Mets are hitting it around. He's thrown 35 pitches, having retired just four batters.
7:52: Maya settled down in the third inning, allowing only a walk. But the problem is, the Nationals aren't getting anything going on offense. The best they've done against Dillon Gee is here in the third, with Maya laying down a sac bunt to move Wilson Ramos to second. The inning ended there, though. Maya's sac bunt was impressive, and he had good speed going down the line, but the Nationals need more than that to get back in this one.
8:05: The fourth is Maya's first 1-2-3 inning; he gets a couple of flyouts and strikes out Gee to end the inning. If Maya gets his breaking stuff going, he can be effective. But his go-to pitch cannot be his fastball. Since the first inning, it hasn't been, which is why he's starting to hit a groove.
8:19: Maya gets another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, striking out Angel Pagan looking on a hard slider. He's thrown 33 fastballs, 21 sliders, 16 curveballs and 15 changeups through five, for a total of 87 pitches. That's about the mix he needs to have to be successful. But the Nationals still don't have a hit against Gee.
8:27: Maya is done after five, having allowed four runs on five hits, but none after the second inning. He seemed to figure out some things after the first two innings, and left the Nationals with reason to be encouraged. He threw 58 of 87 pitches for strikes, or exactly two-thirds. Ross Detwiler is in for the Nationals now.
8:38: Willie Harris homers to put the Nationals on the board and break up Gee's no-hitter. Adam Dunn almost brought in another runn at the end of the inning, but Angel Pagan - who has absolutely tormented the Nationals this year - made a leaping catch at the wall to take away a double and strand Ian Desmond.
