NEW YORK -- The New York Mets officially are in a pennant race!
Wilmer Flores -- nearly traded on Wednesday -- delivered a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 12th and the Amazin’s beat the Washington Nationals, 2-1, on Friday in the opener of a critical, three-game, NL East showdown.
Seven hours after acquiring Yoenis Cespedes, the Mets (53-50) closed to within two games of first-place Washington (54-47) before a raucous crowd at Citi Field announced at 36,164. It marked only the Mets’ 10th win in their past 43 games against the Nats in Queens.
Disappointed with his performance in a loss opposite Gio Gonzalez 11 days earlier in D.C. despite a strong finish to that outing, Matt Harvey this time carried a perfect-game bid one out into the sixth. He then surrendered a single to Jose Lobaton. Harvey had retired 30 straight Nats batters over two second-half meetings until Lobaton’s hit.
Harvey stranded two baserunners apiece in the sixth and seventh innings, but his good fortune ran out on his 109th and final pitch. With two outs and two baserunners aboard in the eighth, and with the crowd on its feet with a 2-2 count, Yunel Escobar singled to plate Danny Espinosa and even the score at 1.
Espinosa entered as a pinch runner for Clint Robinson, who questionably was deemed to have been hit by a pitch. The Mets unsuccessfully challenged that ruling.
Harvey’s performance in a no-decision (7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K) marked the second time this week a Mets pitcher flirted with perfection. Noah Syndergaard retired 18 straight batters to begin Tuesday’s start against the San Diego Padres.
The Mets should have given Harvey more run support but stranded a combined five baserunners between the fourth and fifth innings. After Flores’ RBI single in the fourth provided a 1-0 lead, Eric Campbell eventually took a called third strike on a full-count offering from Gonzalez to leave the bases loaded. An inning later, with two in scoring position and two outs, Tanner Roark replaced Gonzalez and coaxed a groundout from Juan Uribe.
Just about Harvey’s only other blemish besides Escobar’s RBI single was not driving in any runs as a batter. He had two RBIs in each of his previous three outings -- the longest such streak by a pitcher in the majors since Andy Messersmith in 1976 with the Atlanta Braves.
Clipped: Tyler Clippard inherited two baserunners from Harvey with two outs in the eighth and struck out former teammate Jayson Werth on the 13th pitch of the at-bat to preserve a 1-1 score. Things disintegrated for Clippard, though, when he returned to the mound for the ninth and issued consecutive one-out walks to Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond.
Jeurys Familia inherited the two baserunners and retired Michael Taylor and Lobaton.
Clippard had reminisced pregame about facing Werth once before -- in an intrasquad game on the eve of last year’s playoffs with the Nats. That time, Clippard retired Werth and collected a $100 bet.
Wilmer! The Mets certainly have quickly reversed the negativity surrounding the club.
On Wednesday, Flores was crying at shortstop, thinking he was on the verge of getting traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. A day later, Familia served up a three-run homer to San Diego’s Justin Upton with two outs in the top of the ninth to suffer his third straight blown save as the Mets suffered a demoralizing defeat in the rain.
But on Friday, Cespedes was acquired after deals for Milwaukee’s Carlos Gomez and Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce fizzled. Harvey flirted with perfection. And Flores, who would have headed to the Brewers, drove in a critical run as he was repeatedly saluted by the home crowd.
Flores, who started at second base, received a standing ovation when he dived to his left to stop a first-inning grounder from Escobar. He also received an ovation before his first at-bat as fans offered their appreciation for the on-field tears he shed on Wednesday because he wanted to remain a Met and thought he was getting dealt.
In the fourth, Flores broke a scoreless tie with a two-out single against Gonzalez that plated Uribe.
Welcome back: In his first game since suffering a sprained left elbow on June 20 in Atlanta, Travis d’Arnaud went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. Manager Terry Collins said d’Arnaud should play two games, then have Sunday off. That’s also the plan for the next series in Miami, to protect d’Arnaud as he returns from the disabled list and ensure Kevin Plawecki gets work.
Yer out! Bryce Harper was ejected in the 11th inning for getting in the face of plate umpire Jerry Meals to argue a called third strike.
What’s next: Cespedes is due to join the Mets for Saturday’s 7:10 p.m. ET game. He will wear No. 52, with Carlos Torres switching to No. 72. Jacob deGrom (10-6, 2.05 ERA) opposes right-hander Joe Ross (2-3, 3.03).