Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Roger Bernadina came into the game without a home run in 113 career at-bats before belting two for Washington, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the ninth inning to give the Nationals a 6-4 win over the Mets in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Tyler Clippard Wins League-Leading Seventh Game As Nationals Keep Rolling
Bernadina, who also made a spectacular diving catch in the fifth to leave the bases loaded, took a Francisco Rodriguez (2-1) offering deep over the wall in right-center to break a 4-4 tie with two outs in the ninth. Cristian Guzman also scored after reaching on a one-out single.
Matt Capps set down the side in order in the bottom half for his major-league best 14th save in as many chances this season.
Bernadina's heroics made a winner of Tyler Clippard (7-1), who helped blow a late lead in Tuesday's 8-6 loss but hurled a scoreless eighth on Wednesday. Washington's Craig Stammen did more with his bat than with his arm, driving in three runs in a 2-for-2 effort at the plate while giving up four runs on six hits and four walks in a five-inning start.
Angel Pagan and Alex Cora each had two hits, a run scored and an RBI for New York, which has lost three of four overall. Mike Pelfrey was touched for four runs on seven hits and three walks to go with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 frames.
The first three hitters in the away second doubled, singled and walked, respectively, to load the bases. Pelfrey, who struck out the side in the first, fanned the next two leading up to Stammen, who turned on a 2-2 fastball and singled into left field to bring in Adam Dunn and Cristian Guzman.
Pelfrey nearly duplicated his counterpart's effort in the bottom half, hitting a bases-loaded single to left to plate David Wright, who opened the inning with a walk. Pagan followed with a flyout deep enough to left for Ike Davis to slide in safely with the tying run.
Washington took the lead back in the fourth, as Bernadina hit a two-out line drive into the seats in right field for his first career home run. Wil Nieves then hit a double down the right-field line and scored when Stammen's dribbler up the middle skidded through to center field for a 4-2 lead.
Bernadina came up again in the fifth with the bases loaded, but flied out harmlessly to right to end the inning.
The Mets tied it again in their at-bat, as Pagan doubled and scored on a single from Cora, who came around on Jose Reyes' two-bagger down the right- field line. New York went on to load the bases with a pair of two-out walks, but Bernadina robbed Jeff Francoeur of extra bases with a diving grab at the warning track.
The Nationals took two of three from the Mets at Citi Field from April 9-11 and have won 10 of the last 14 overall meetings between the NL East foes...The Nationals stranded 11 runners, going 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position...Bernadina ended with three hits, while Dunn and Guzman each had two for Washington.
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