Michael Taylor's two-run, two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning tied the game before the young center fielder stole second and scored the winning run as the Nationals rallied for a 4-3 win over the second-place Mets in a Wednesday afternoon rubber match in Washington.

Bobby Parnell yielded all three eighth innings runs on three hits, two walks and a wild pitching in another disaster at Nationals Park. The wild pitch allowed two runners to advance and setup Taylor's game-tying single. Then, second baseman Danny Espinosa knocked in the game winner with an opposite field double, dealing Parnell the loss in addition to his fifth career blown save in Washington.

After the game, SNY Mets color man Ron Darling said he thought it was the team's toughest loss so far this season, and it may have been. What would have been a 3-3 road trip to open the second half - including a series win to draw within a game of first place in the NL East - the Mets instead head back to Citi Field coming off a 2-4 stand, now three back of the Nats.

Noah Syndergaard didn't have his best stuff in a five-inning outing - four hits and five walks - but he was in line for the win having pitched out of jams and allowing just one run.

Taylor, 23, also drove in his team's first run in the fourth innings, also a two-out base hit.

Both Mets runs came off in the third off Nats' starter Jordan Zimmermann. Kirk Nieuwenhuis drove home a pair with a double into the gap in left center. He came around to score on a Kevin Plawecki RBI-single.

New York returns home to the opener of a four-game series with the Dodgers on Thursday night (7:10).

 

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