Nationals pile up season-high 14 runs, add to Mets' spiral

Brady House hit his first career grand slam to cap a seven-run fourth inning Wednesday night for the visiting Washington Nationals, who rolled to a 14-2 win over the New York Mets in the middle game of a three-game series.

Curtis Mead homered and finished with a career-high four hits for the Nationals, whose 14 runs were a season-high.

The Mets have lost 16 of their last 19, their worst 19-game stretch since New York dropped 16 of 19 from May 25 through June 14, 2018.

Mets starter David Peterson (0-4) was on the verge of limiting the Nationals to one run in the fourth via Joey Wiemer's RBI infield single before the left-hander issued a bases-loaded walk to James Wood, which forced home Daylen Lile to extend Washington's lead to 4-1.

Sean Manaea entered and plunked Mead to bring home Wiemer. House homered to left-center two pitches later for the Nationals, whose seven-run fourth inning came one night after the Mets scored seven runs in the fourth inning of an 8-0 win.

Washington's CJ Abrams had an RBI single in the sixth before Wood laced a two-run double in the seventh, when he scored on Jacob Young's single. Mead, who entered Wednesday with four three-hit games, collected his fourth hit by going deep in the ninth

Abrams finished with three hits, including an RBI single in the first, while Wood and Wiemer had two hits apiece. Young had a run-scoring groundout later in the first.

Cade Cavalli (1-1) cruised to the win after allowing the two runs on eight hits and two walks while tying a career-high with 10 strikeouts. The 10-whiff game was the second straight for Cavalli.

Juan Soto homered for the second time in as many games while MJ Melendez had an RBI single in the fifth for New York. Soto finished with three hits while Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien added two hits apiece.

Peterson gave up seven runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five over 3 1/3 innings.

--Field Level Media