CJ Abrams' Eighth-Inning Bomb Pushes Nationals Past Mets, Who Can't Stop Losing

The New York Mets are in free fall, and the Washington Nationals just added another brutal chapter to their collapse. CJ Abrams smacked a go-ahead two-run homer off Luke Weaver in the eighth inning Thursday afternoon, driving in three runs total as Washington rallied for a 5-4 victory at Citi Field. The Nationals are now winning for the fourth time in five games. The Mets? They just lost for the 17th time in 20 games.

Abrams Takes Over When It Matters Most

With Luis Garcia Jr. on first and Daylen Lile having just avoided a double play, Abrams stepped into a 2-1 changeup and sent it 403 feet over the right field fence. That blast gave Washington the lead for good, capping off a series where the shortstop went absolutely nuclear. Abrams finished with six hits in 11 at-bats across the series against New York. His clutch at-bat in the eighth was vintage, but it wasn't his only huge moment. Earlier, Abrams had flailed a broken-bat single to left field in the third inning after Garcia doubled, keeping the offense moving.

Defense Wins Games, and Washington Had It Tonight

Right fielder James Wood was a menace in the field for the Nationals. In the first inning, he made a leaping catch and stuck his glove over the fence to rob Juan Soto of a home run. Then in the fifth, Wood charged in and made a diving catch on Bo Bichette's sinking liner. That kind of standout defense in key moments is exactly what you need when you're trying to hold a lead.

The Mets Keep Sinking

New York got a three-run homer from MJ Melendez off Miles Mikolas' 1-2 fastball in the third to briefly take the lead, and Mark Vientos added an RBI double to the right-center warning track in the sixth. But it wasn't enough. The Mets have now lost Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. to the injured list, and the damage is showing. Since those injuries, New York has been outscored 106-53. That's not a close call. That's a team falling apart. Washington has also won six of the last nine meetings between these teams.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.