7/25/12 Recap

       Yesterday, the Mets looked to take at least one game from the Nationals and avoid the sweep as the sent Jeremy Hefner to the mound. There was no score until the top of the second when Michael Moorse and Danny Espinosa went back-to-back on two solo home runs into right field. However, New York cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning as Ike Davis lined one over the right field wall, and it was 2-1 Washington. In the 4th, Danny Espinosa scored on a Sandy Lyon RBI fielder's choice to make it a 2-run game. Then, in the top of the seventh, Bryce Harper reached base, and then Adam LaRoche hit his 2nd homer of the series into the Pepsi Porch in right field, and it was a 4-run lead for the Nats. Nationals pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, was un-hitable, striking out 11 through 7 innings as Washington took the victory 5-2. The Mets fall to 4 games under .500 and are 1-8 after the All-Star break. Tomorrow, Met's No. 2 prospect Matt Harvey will make his long-awaited Majors debut in Arizona.
       Yesterday, the Yankees looked to take the series in Seattle without their 3rd baseman, Alex Rodriguez, who will be out 6-8 weeks with a fractured hand. In the top of the first, Derek Jeter, batting in the 2 spot with Ichiro leading off, hit a solo home run, his eighth of the year, to give New York a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, an RBI walk and a fielder's choice brought in 2 runs to give the Mariners a 1-run lead. This was the score until the bottom of the eighth when the Yankees loaded the bases. Jayson Nix doubled home three runs to give the Yanks a 4-2 lead. A Russel Martin single would bring home another run for the 4th run of the inning as the final score was 5-2 Yankees. New York now has an 8-game lead over Baltimore and Tampa Bay in the American League East.