WASHINGTON — Taijuan Walker pitched seven scoreless innings and the New York Mets remained unbeaten in 10 series this season, cruising past the sloppy Washington Nationals 4-1 on Thursday.
Mark Canha went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI for the NL East-leading Mets, who took 2 of 3 from the last-place Nationals. New York has won nine series and split one, and hasn’t lost two straight games in a month.
Walker (1-0) allowed three hits, walked one and threw 85 pitches in the longest of his four starts this season, which was interrupted by a stint on the injured list with right shoulder bursitis.
Walker benefited from a bizarre double play that kept Washington from scoring. Seth Lugo struck out two in the eighth and Edwin Diaz allowed Juan Soto’s two-out homer in the ninth before retiring Josh Bell to complete the four-hitter.
The Mets only had five hits, but they went ahead 2-0 in the first inning on Canha’s bases-loaded single and Washington never seriously threatened. New York took advantage of wild Nationals starter Joan Adon (1-6), who walked five of the first 10 batters.
Tomas Nido added a run-scoring single with two outs in the fourth that chased Adon, who also hit J.D. Davis in the back with a fastball – the 24th time a Mets batter has been hit this season, which leads the majors.
Soto opened the fourth with a double off the wall in right-center but quickly ended the Nats’ best scoring chance with poor baserunning. Soto broke for third on a grounder to the left side by Josh Bell and was caught in a rundown before being thrown out at third. Walker tagged Soto and threw wildly to second, and Bell tried to advance and was thrown out at third.
Soto slid into Walker’s forearm a few feet in front of the bag, and Walker stood over Soto after tagging him. Soto appeared to take issue with Walker blocking his path to third base and lay in the dirt in front of the bag as Bell approached.
Canha homered in the ninth off Steve Cishek.
REDS 4, PIRATES 0: Connor Overton got his first major league win and combined with two relievers on a four-hitter for Cincinnati’s first shutout of the season, a win in Pittsburgh.
Overton (1-0) allowed three hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings with one strikeout. The 28-year-old right-hander got nine outs on ground balls.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ASTROS 11, TWINS 3: Jose Altuve homered, doubled and drove in three runs as visiting Houston piled on when play resumed, beating Minnesota in the completion of a suspended game.
The Astros led 5-1 after three innings on Wednesday night when the game was suspended due to heavy rain and lightning. The teams were to play their regularly scheduled game later.
ATHLETICS 5, TIGERS 3: Seth Brown hit a tie-breaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning and Oakland won at Detroit.
Michael Fulmer (1-2) got the first two outs of the eighth, but Jed Lowrie drew a walk and Brown homered to right. The Tigers have lost 9 of 10.
ORIOLES 3, CARDINALS 2: Rylan Bannon became just the third Baltimore player since 2000 to get a hit on the first pitch of his big league career, Jorge Mateo and Anthony Bemboom homered and the visiting Orioles beat St. Louis.
Bannon a 26-year-old third baseman, was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game and singled on a changeup from Steven Matz (3-3) with two outs in the second inning, one batter after Mateo homered to put the Orioles ahead.
NOTES
PADRES: Two sources confirmed the Padres are talking with Robinson Cano, the eight-time All-Star second baseman who was designated for assignment by the Mets last week and released over the weekend. One source said the Padres are optimistic a deal will be finalized Friday. The New York Post first reported Cano was close to signing.
The plan would be for Cano, 39, to serve as a left-handed option off the bench, which the Padres do not have most days, and be a backup in the infield. The intention is not for him to take significant at-bats from designated hitter Luke Voit as long as Voit is producing.
The Mets are paying the $37.6 million remaining on the 10-year, $240 million contract Cano signed in 2014 with the Mariners. The Padres will pay Cano the major league minimum.
GUARDIANS: Cleveland reported no new COVID-19 cases Thursday, a day after an outbreak inside their clubhouse caused a postponement in Chicago and sent Manager Terry Francona and five coaches home from a road trip.
Pitching coach Carl Willis will serve as the club’s acting manager for a three-game series this weekend in Minnesota.
ROYALS: Outfielder Andrew Benintendi went to arbitration with Kansas City on Thursday, asking for $8.5 million instead of the team’s $7.3 million offer.
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