7/17/12 Recap

       Last night, the Mets sent Jon Niese to the mound in Washington, and it was a wild one. The Nationals were ahead 2-0 in the top of the ninth, and it looked like New York was ready to lose their fifth straight. But with two on and 1 out, Jordany Valdespin hit a pinch-hit 3-run homer to make it 3-2 Metropolitans. Bobby Parnell came in to try and close it out, but with runners on 1st and 3rd and 2 out. Danny Espinosa hit a 2-strike pitch up the middle to tie the game. In the 10th, Josh Thole hit an RBI double to score Daniel Murphy and make it 4-3 New York. With a runner on 2nd in the bottom of the tenth, Bryce Harper hit an RBI triple to tie the game at 4. Mets manager, Terry Collins, elected to intentionally walk the bases loaded for Ian Desmond, who grounded into a fielder's choice at the plate. Pedro Beato came into pitch, but during the first batter he faced, he threw a wild pitch that scored Ryan Zimmerman, and the Nats took the victory 5-4, who are now 2-0 against the Mets in extras.
       The Yankees were looking to take game 2 in their series against Toronto. In the second with two on and no one out, Andruw Jones hit a 3-run homer into left to make it 3-0 Bombers. In the 7th, there were RBI doubles from Chris Stewart and Derek Jeter and an RBI on a fielder's choice from Alex Rodriguez made it 6-0. In the top of the ninth, the Blue Jays got a run on a sacrifice fly, making the score 6-1. But then Rafeal Soriano came in to get the save for a 6-1 Yankee win. Sabathia is now 8-0 in his last 10 starts against the Jays.