WASHINGTON — Jeff McNeil was having a huge afternoon for the Mets before Sunday’s game at Nationals Park was even halfway finished.
The rookie second baseman’s single in the fifth inning gave him four hits in as many at-bats. McNeil walked in his fifth plate appearance and was finally retired in his sixth. In all, it was a day for McNeil to savor in the Mets’ 8-6 victory over the Nationals played through a steady rain.
“It’s awesome to come up here and have instant success,” said McNeil, who is slashing .340/.394/.495 since his promotion to the Mets on July 27. “I am just going to try to finish strong.”
The performance was McNeil’s eighth with at least three hits. McNeil is 30-for-81 (.370) in September, which leads the National League.
“I’ve seen enough to know he is going to be tough to pitch to next year,” manager Mickey Callaway said.
Steven Matz was removed after three innings in which he allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks with a hit batter. But the Mets bullpen contained the Nationals for the remainder, save for a blip in the eighth in which Drew Smith surrendered three runs.
Michael Conforto’s bases-loaded triple was the biggest hit in the fourth inning, when the Mets scored four runs to take a 5-3 lead. McNeil contributed to the rally with an RBI single. Conforto leads all major league hitters with 40 RBIs since Aug. 12.
The Mets pulled away in the fifth, with Kevin Plawecki delivering an RBI double before Amed Rosario’s run-scoring single put the Nationals in a 7-3 hole.
Matz, who had homered in his previous two games, sacrifice bunted in his only plate appearance of the afternoon. Ken Brett, who homered in four straight appearances for the Phillies in 1973, was the last pitcher to go deep in at least three consecutive games.
The Mets finished 11-8 against the Nationals this season.