WASHINGTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias homered in a six-run 10th inning, and the New York Mets held off the Washington Nationals 9-7 on Monday night to spoil the major league debut of prized outfield prospect James Wood.
Francisco Alvarez had three RBIs and two extra-base hits for the Mets (41-41), who stopped a two-game skid and improved to 17-6 in their last 23 games.
In the opener of a four-game series between NL East foes, Harrison Bader was hit by pitch leading off the 10th to put two runners on. Martinez followed with his 10th homer, snapping an 0-for-12 slump with a drive to center field against Hunter Harvey (2-4).
“I’m just trying to get something up because the last thing I wanted to do is swing at that splitter in the dirt,” Martinez said.
Tyrone Taylor doubled with two outs and scored on Alvarez’s first career triple, which hit high off the right-field wall. Iglesias made it 9-3 when he greeted Jordan Weems with a two-run shot to center for his first big league homer since July 13, 2022, with Colorado.
“After the three-run homer, (we) continued with really good at-bats, continued to put pressure, and that was the difference in the ballgame,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Washington scored four times in the bottom half before Reed Garrett struck out Luis García Jr. with two on for his fourth save.
Tyler Jay allowed an RBI double to Jesse Winker and a two-run double by Ildemaro Vargas. Garrett came on and gave up an RBI single to Keibert Ruiz before fanning García.
“You’re trying to stay away from Reed Garrett because we’ve been running this guy pretty hard,” Mendoza said. “We had to go to him. I’m glad he came in and shut the door and got us a W.”
New York, outscored 33-15 in extra innings this season, improved to 4-8 in those games.
Jake Diekman (2-2) pitched a hitless ninth for the win, helped by a game-saving catch from Taylor in right field.
Immediately following a two-out error by CJ Abrams at shortstop, Alvarez laced a two-run double in the sixth that gave New York a 3-2 lead.
The Nationals tied it 3-all in the eighth. Winker came all the way around from first when a bloop hit to right by Joey Meneses bounced past Taylor for an RBI double.
Meneses had two hits and two RBIs for Washington, which has lost six of seven.
Washington’s top prospect, the 21-year-old Wood was called up from Triple-A Rochester earlier in the day. He singled in his first plate appearance and later reached on an error, finishing 1 for 4 with a walk. A native of nearby Olney, Maryland, Wood was acquired in the August 2022 blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego.
“Unique,” Wood said when asked for one word to describe his debut. “It’s just like the first time doing something, something you’ve never done before, playing in front of a crowd like that and obviously in the major leagues.”
After receiving a standing ovation from the crowd of 26,719 in the bottom of the second, Wood fell behind 1-2, worked the count full and then lined an opposite-field single into left-center against Mets starter David Peterson.
“I was just kind of looking for a fastball,” Wood said. “His fastball runs, it’s got a run and sink on it. I was trying to push it up and away, especially after I swung through the one down. And then I was just able to get one.”
Wood struck out in the fourth, grounded out in the seventh and reached on Diekman’s two-base throwing error in the ninth.
One of baseball’s highest-rated prospects, the 6-foot-7, 234-pound outfielder was hitting .353 with 10 home runs, 37 RBIs and a 1.058 OPS in the minors.
The Nationals took a 2-0 lead in the third on RBI singles by Harold Ramírez and Meneses.
With two outs in the sixth, Derek Law came on to face Mark Vientos, who singled to score Bader. Taylor then hit grounder that went between Abrams’ legs, and Alvarez followed with a two-run double to left-center.
Peterson allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 inning.
MacKenzie Gore permitted one run and five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: OF Brandon Nimmo sat out after cutting his forehead when he fainted and fell in his hotel room overnight. Mendoza said Nimmo did not suffer a concussion and could return Tuesday. … RHP Kodai Senga (right shoulder) will begin his rehab assignment Wednesday with Class A Brooklyn and is scheduled to throw up to 40 pitches.
UP NEXT
Mets LHP Sean Manaea (5-3, 3.89 ERA) opposes Nationals LHP DJ Herz (1-2, 5.48) on Tuesday.
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