How 'bout some bonus baseball? (Harper walks 'em off in 12)

As if nine innings of tonight's Nationals-Mets contest hasn't been entertaining enough, we're going to extras. The Nats and Mets are tied 4-4 after nine in an up-and-down game which saw both teams squander a lead in the late innings. After tying it in the eighth, Washington had a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth when Roger Bernadina singled with two outs, bringing Bryce Harper to the plate and the crowd to its collective feet. Harper smoked a ball to left field on a line, but Vinny Rottino was perfectly positioned on the edge of the track and made the grab to end the inning. We're heading to the 10th, and here comes Henry Rodriguez out of the 'pen for the Nats. Update: Rodriguez didn't help his reputation among Nats fans in the 10th, allowing the go-ahead run on a single, stolen base, ground out and wild pitch. The Mets now lead 5-4, although that go-ahead run wasn't entirely Rodriguez's fault. He bounced a breaking ball just over the plate, but catcher Jesus Flores tried to backhand it instead of opening his glove up and playing it off his chest. By trying to pick it cleanly, he let it skip towards the Mets dugout, and Scott Hairston came in to score. Update II: It's really a shame not more has happened tonight. Down by a run bottom-10, the Nats had your typical rally: error on the shortstop; dropped ground out; walk; error on the shortstop on what would have been a game-ending double play but instead tied the game; walk; infield single; strikeout to end the inning with the bases loaded. Not only did Rick Ankiel strike out with the bases loaded to end the inning, he was up 3-0 in the count and still struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning. My goodness. Ross Detwiler, who was the last guy in the Nats' bullpen, is now in as we play in the 11th. This has been something else. Update III: Bryce Harper did what no one else could do. End this ballgame. Harper's bases-loaded, walk-off single to left in the bottom of the 12th plated Jesus Flores and gave the Nats a thrilling - and exhausting - 7-6 win over the Mets. Go to sleep, because I won't be for a while.



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