Nats go down quietly to Mets in series finale (updated)

NEW YORK – The weekend had already included rain delays, trades and a lot of offense. Sunday’s series finale between the Nationals an Mets included none of that.

Nor did it include a win for the visitors.

A tepid offensive showing against Justin Verlander and a laborious start from Trevor Williams doomed the Nats during a 5-2 loss to close out a long weekend at Citi Field that ultimately didn’t prove to be as rewarding as they hoped.

Despite facing a Mets club tearing down the most expensive roster in major league history and conceding it won’t be winning anything this year, the Nationals still wound up losing three out of four. The consistent theme in those three losses: A lack of offensive punch.

The Nats scored 11 runs in Saturday night’s lone victory. They scored a combined four runs in their three losses.

"We faced a tough opponent," manager Davey Martinez said, referencing Verlander. "We came out early and scored first. We gave it back, and he settled in and kept us off balance throughout the day. We had opportunities to score again. It's just when you're facing guys like that and have those opportunities, you've got to cash in. And we just didn't do that today."

After bursting out of the gates for four first-inning runs Saturday night, the Nationals hoped for a comparable effort today. And they did get on the board first, taking a quick 1-0 lead against Verlander thanks to another example of aggressive baserunning.

CJ Abrams led off the game with an infield single, then went first-to-third on Jeimer Candelario’s subsequent base hit to right. Joey Meneses came to the plate with a chance to drive someone in, but his services weren’t even needed. Abrams and Candelario pulled off a beautifully executed double steal, with Candelario drawing the throw to second and Abrams taking off for the plate in the process.

"We know the pitcher we're facing today," said Candelario, who has six steals this season, one shy of his career total entering the year. "We've got to grind every single today. Verlander's one of the good pitchers in the game, and for us, we've got to be aggressive. We've got to take any opportunity there. I put myself in a good opportunity to get a good jump, go to second base."

The one run was all the Nationals would get, though, against Verlander, who was in peak form in what may have been his final start for the Mets. The 40-year-old right-hander wasn’t efficient – he needed 103 pitches just to complete 5 1/3 innings – but he didn’t allow another run after that double steal in the first.

"We're always trying to score first," said Abrams, who swiped three bases today and is now 21 for his last 21. "Score first, your probability of winning the game goes up. But it just didn't go our way today."

When he departed, Verlander (who, like Max Scherzer, could be dealt before Tuesday’s trade deadline) received a loud ovation from the Citi Field crowd and expressed his thanks to Mets fans by tipping his cap and touching his heart.

That one run of support wasn’t nearly enough for Williams, who in his third start against New York this season suffered through his worst results to date.

The right-hander, who pitched well in Flushing the last two seasons as a swingman who bounced between the rotation and bullpen, was behind the eight ball right from the start today. He issued back-to-back walks to begin his afternoon, then surrendered an RBI single to Pete Alonso.

Things devolved in the third, an inning that included four hits, two of those for extra bases, another walk and a sacrifice fly. By the time that frame ended, the Nationals trailed 4-1 and Williams’ pitch count was all the way up to 65.

It got no better in the fourth. Francisco Lindor’s solo homer on an 0-2 fastball extended the deficit to 5-1, and when that inning ended, Williams’ day was done. He lasted only four innings, allowed 11 batters to reach base and threw 89 pitches in the process.

"I think he was just trying to find his groove there," Martinez said. "He started off walking the first two guys, but I think he just took a little more time to find himself. He got out of that inning, kept us in the ballgame ... He battled."

The Nationals signed Williams to a two-year, $13 million contract over the winter believing he would at worst give them a chance to win every time he took the mound. For two months, that was the case; he ended May with a 3.93 ERA.

But things have turned south since: In 11 starts over the last two months, he owns a 5.53 ERA.

Williams was not available to speak to reporters after the game, and Martinez revealed the right-hander will be going on the bereavement list Monday.

"He's got to go home," Martinez said. "So when we get him back, he'll come back and compete again."