WASHINGTON — The Mets found out Wednesday what the rest of America already knew: This isn’t a city in which deficits disappear.
After creeping within seven games of the NL East-leading Nationals a night earlier, the Mets took a step backward against Doug Fister, absorbing a 7-1 beating in front of 26,701 at Nationals Park.
This one rated among the Mets’ flattest performances of the season. Jon Niese (5-8) surrendered a three-run homer in the first and another in the sixth, and the Mets lineup didn’t even bother producing an extra-base hit.
Fister (11-3) allowed an unearned run over 7 ¹/₃ innings and struck out seven. Adam LaRoche finished with two homers to lead the Nationals’ nine-hit attack.
Danny Espinosa’s three-run homer in the sixth put the Mets in a 6-0 hole and ensured Niese of his worst pitching line of the season. Overall, the lefty allowed six earned runs on eight hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Niese had not allowed as many as six earned runs in a start since Sept. 7 of last year at Cleveland.
In four starts since returning from the disabled list, Niese is 0-4 with a 5.76 ERA.
“I am at the point now where my stuff is back, my arm feels great,” Niese said. “I’m not very consistent hitting my spots and just having a couple of bad innings where I give up two or three runs, and that’s what is costing us.”
Niese, manager Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen all said the pitcher’s health is not an issue.
“I thought his velocity was better tonight,” Warthen said. “I thought his mind was better tonight. We made a little change in his delivery so I thought his location was off by more than we wanted it to be, but I was really happy with his arm angle tonight . … . It wasn’t nearly as low, so I think we’ll see some real positive things with him.”
Niese indicated he changed his delivery as he battled arm soreness that led to his DL stint, and he ultimately became comfortable with the changes. But with his arm feeling better, Niese reverted to his old mechanics and has struggled.
Collins said there was no thought of removing Niese in the sixth before he surrendered the blast to Espinosa.
“I thought he needed to pitch more,” Collins said. “He’s got to throw more to build up strength in his shoulder, some endurance in his shoulder, and besides that I thought it was a pretty good part of the order — two lefties and a guy who doesn’t hit lefties very good and then the pitcher. I thought it was a good spot to let him go out and get a little length to him, so his next start is maybe a little easier for him.”
The Mets (54-60) can at least look forward to having phenom Jacob deGrom on the mound for Thursday’s series finale. The rookie, who faces Jordan Zimmermann, has posted a 1.52 ERA over his last eight starts.
David Wright hit into a double play in the sixth, killing the Mets’ best opportunity against Fister. Curtis Granderson bunted for a hit and Daniel Murphy singled before Wright hit into the Mets’ second double play of the game.
The Mets missed chances earlier. Lucas Duda singled leading off the second, but was erased as part of a Travis d’Arnaud double play. In the fourth, Wright and Duda singled in succession with two outs before d’Arnaud was retired.
LaRoche’s two-run homer was the big hit in a three-run first inning for the Nationals.
Jayson Werth delivered an RBI single before LaRoche unloaded into the right field seats for his 14th homer of the season. Anthony Rendon’s double with one out started the rally.