Mets tumble to 17th loss in 20 games, Nationals win 5-4 on Abrams' go-ahead, 2-run homer in 8th

NEW YORK -- CJ Abrams hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals beat the Mets 5-4 Thursday, dealing reeling New York its 17th loss in 20 games.

James Wood robbed Juan Soto of a home run with a leaping catch at the right-field wall in the first inning and Washington dropped the Mets to a major league-worst 10-21. New York's .323 winning percentage through April is its fourth-lowest behind starts in 1962 (3-13), 1964 (2-10) and 1981 (4-10).

New York, which opened with the season with the major leagues' highest payroll at $358.4 million, went 3-6 on its homestand and headed to California for a nine-game trip.

After overcoming a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead on MJ Melendez's three-run homer in the third off Miles Mikolas and Mark Vientos' RBI double in the sixth against Mitchell Parker (1-0), the Mets lost a game in which they were ahead for the 10th time this year.

Luis García Jr. singled on the first pitch of the eighth from Luke Weaver (2-1) and Daylen Lile beat out the relay throw to avoid a double-play grounder. Abrams drove a hanging changeup 403 feet to right-center.

Gus Varland got four outs for his second save. He retired Tyrone Taylor on a flyout in the eighth that stranded Soto on second and struck out Ronny Mauricio on a full-count slider for the final out with Francisco Alvarez at second.

Washington went ahead 2-0 in the first. Jorbit Vivas raced home from first after pitcher Freddy Peralta threw the ball wildly past first on Nasim Nuñez’s comebacker and Nuñez came home on Jacob Young’s single. Abrams added an RBI single in the third.

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Nationals: RHP Jake Irvin (1-3, 4.85) starts Friday against visiting Milwaukee and RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-2, 3.31).

Mets: RHP Christian Scott (0-0, 6.75) starts Friday at the Los Angeles Angels, who send RHP Walbert Ureña (0-3, 4.76) to the mound.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb