NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Quintana extended his scoreless streak to a career-high 22 2/3 innings and Brandon Nimmo’s three-run homer capped a nine-run fourth as the surging New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 10-0 on Wednesday night to finish a three-game sweep.
Luisangel Acuña homered again for the Mets (84-68), who moved a season-high 16 games above .500 and remained tied with Arizona for the second of three NL wild cards — two games ahead of Atlanta for the league’s last playoff spot.
“I’m pretty much convinced now we’re not in the regular season anymore,” Nimmo said. “We’re in playoff baseball and every win is extremely important. It decides whether we keep playing or not.”
Acuña, Mark Vientos and Starling Marte each drove in two runs as the Mets followed a 10-1 victory Tuesday night with another blowout of Washington. New York finished 11-2 against the Nationals this season, its best record against one opponent since going 10-1 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.
“We’re close to the finish of the season and we’re in good position,” Quintana said. “We feel really strong.”
Quintana (10-9) allowed two hits, walked two and struck out four in seven innings to complete his season-long dominance of the Nationals, whom he blanked over 21 innings in three starts — the most innings a Mets pitcher has thrown in a season without allowing a run against an opponent in franchise history.
“He doesn’t throw many balls right over the heart of the plate,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “He nibbles a lot, but you’ve got to get up there and be ready to hit when it does come over the plate.”
Quintana hasn’t allowed a run since the third inning against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 31. His previous career-best scoreless streak was 20 2/3 innings in 2014.
The veteran left-hander has won four straight outings and permitted one earned run in 32 innings over his last five starts for a 0.28 ERA during that span.
“He’s been in the league for a long time and there’s a reason why,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He knows that you’re going to go through stretches where it’s hard. And he’ll continue to find a way. It’s just basically trusting his pitches, his repertoire, in the strike zone.”
The Mets sent 12 batters to the plate against DJ Herz (4-8) and Jacob Barnes in the fourth, when they had their biggest inning since a nine-run fourth against Toronto on Sept. 11, 2020. Tyrone Taylor opened the scoring with an RBI double and Vientos — mired in 0-for-15 and 3-for-39 slumps — laced a two-run single before Acuña and Marte had run-scoring hits.
Nimmo followed Marte by hitting his second homer since Aug. 20, a 419-foot drive into the Nationals’ bullpen in right-center field. The outfielder had three potential homers sail just foul of the right-field pole in the Mets’ previous four home games.
“It was funny, Steve Cohen actually told me, ‘Hey, that one you finally kept fair,’” Nimmo said with a laugh, referring to the Mets’ owner. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, that one had no danger of being around the foul pole.’”
Acuña homered in the eighth — his second in two nights. A younger brother of reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., the 22-year-old infielder is 7 for 15 in his first five big league games.
CJ Abrams had two of the Nationals’ three hits. Herz allowed seven runs in 3 1/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: 2B Luis García Jr. (right wrist) didn’t play. He exited Tuesday’s game in the fourth inning after aggravating a chronic injury. … RHP Trevor Williams (flexor strain) is expected to come off the 60-day injured list and start Friday against the Chicago Cubs. Williams last pitched on May 30.
Mets: SS Francisco Lindor (sore back) missed his third straight game but played catch and ran Wednesday afternoon. … Rookie RHP Christian Scott (right elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery with an internal brace added next week and will likely be out until 2026. Scott was 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA in nine starts before being injured in his final start July 21. … RHP Kodai Senga (strained left calf), eligible to come off the 60-day injured list next Wednesday, plans to pitch for Triple-A Syracuse this weekend and could still pitch as an opener for the Mets over the final five days of the regular season. … RHP Paul Blackburn (spinal leak in back) threw for the first time since making a rehab start Sept. 3 and hopes to pitch for the Mets next week. … INF Brett Baty (broken left index finger) went 0 for 4 with Syracuse in his first game action since Aug. 22. Mendoza said Baty could be a candidate for a recall by the Mets.
UP NEXT
Nationals: Continue their final road trip Thursday, when LHP Patrick Corbin (6-13, 5.45 ERA) opens a four-game series against RHP Javier Assad (7-5, 3.27) and the Chicago Cubs.
Mets: RHP Luis Severino (10-6, 3.77 ERA) starts Thursday night in the opener of a pivotal four-game series against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who counter with ex-Mets RHP Taijuan Walker (3-6, 6.29).
