WASHINGTON — The Mets were in the midst of a sloppy game and a sloppy stretch of games. They had failed defensively, they had failed repeatedly in big spots with their bats and in one instance they appeared to fail mentally.
All was forgiven, though, when Francisco Lindor did not fail.
The shortstop knocked a bases-clearing single in the sixth inning Friday night, driving in all the runs the Mets needed in a 3-2 win at Nationals Park to open a four-game series.
The otherwise-struggling Mets (19-20) won for just the third time in their past 10 games. The majority of those games have come against subpar competition, including the Nationals (16-22).
The Mets scored with just one swing in just one inning, after plating two runs in their past two games. Their hitting frustration is not over, but perhaps Lindor’s moment can serve as a turning point.
The Mets were down, 2-0, in the sixth inning in large part because of a lack of clutch hits and an error by Lindor.
As Lindor stepped up with the bases loaded in the sixth, the Mets were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position on the night and on track for another frustrating defeat.
But Lindor turned on a two-out, full-count, inside fastball from Carl Edwards Jr. and served it into the gap in right-center field. Brandon Nimmo, running from first base on the pitch, surprised the Nationals by going all the way around, drawing a too-late throw from CJ Abrams that enabled Lindor to take second.
It was the only hit the Mets collected with runners in scoring position — and the only one they needed.
Tylor Megill, who is fighting to stay in a rotation that is expected to welcome back Max Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco within the next week, battled for five innings in which he allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks.
Excellent bullpen work from Jeff Brigham, Adam Ottavino, David Robertson and Drew Smith no-hit the Nationals over the final four innings.
Robertson was stretched to 1 ²/₃ innings and walked two in the ninth, putting the potential winning run on first base. Manager Buck Showalter summoned Smith, who struck out Lane Thomas to end the game and record his first save of his career.
Prior to Lindor’s sixth-inning swing, the game had been defined by Mets misplays, physical and otherwise.
They should have scored a run before Lindor even stepped up. With Mark Canha on second and Starling Marte on third without an out, Brett Baty hit a soft roller that pitcher Andres Machado fielded. Marte, going on contact, was thrown out at the plate, while Canha, not running on contact, remained at second. The next batter, Francisco Alvarez, grounded out to the right side, which would have scored Canha had he advanced to third previously.
But after Nimmo walked, Lindor ensured the mental error didn’t matter — and ensured his own physical error also didn’t matter.
In the bottom of the fourth, with Alex Call on third and one out, Jake Alu grounded a ball to Lindor, who appeared to want to throw home — but took his eye off the ball, which glanced off his glove and into the outfield. That allowed Call to score, making it 2-0, and Alu to end up on second.
Such was the Mets’ luck through the early innings. They had mounted significant threats in the first three innings only to strand seven runners on base.
In the first inning, they loaded the bases against MacKenzie Gore before the struggling Marte flew out. In the second, they put runners on first and second before Lindor fouled out to end it. In the third, Marte and Jeff McNeil reached before Canha flew out.
With one swing, Lindor snapped the string of frustration and breathed life into a team that needed it.