The Washington Nationals clinched their final series of the season against the Mets on Tuesday night with a 5-3 win. Two rallies in the late innings and a solid outing by Jordan Zimmermann and the bullpen locked up their 88th win of the season. It was pinch-hitter Tyler Moore who came through at the plate, corking a two-run shot in the seventh that would put the Nats back on top, 3-2. They would never look back, adding some insurance in the ninth for the 13th win in 17 games against New York.
Zimmermann didn't have his best stuff, but got through five innings and gave up only two runs. Three straight hits in the fifth would score both runs for the Mets, but that would be all Zimmermann would yield in what would be his final inning. Rookie Christian Garcia, a recent call-up with impressive stuff, struck out three in 1.1 perfect innings of scoreless relief.
On the other side, it looked like knuckleballer R.A. Dickey might go the distance yet again, cruising through the first six innings. But Moore took advantage of the first pitch from Dickey during his pinch-hit at-bat to give Washington the lead for good. Dickey would get out of the inning with the Mets trailing 3-2, but that would be it for him -- his bid to match the 19 wins of Gio Gonzalez coming up short.
Washington added two more runs in their last at-bat to provide a cushion for closer Tyler Clippard. Five straight Nats got on base, with Kurt Suzuki and Bryce Harper each driving in a run. Harper finished with the first four-hit game of his career.
The Nats will go for the series sweep on Wednesday night with John Lannan on the mound. The veteran lefty will be pitching in Stephen Strasburg's turn in the rotation, with the ace now shutdown for the season.
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