Corbin sails through 5, but rough 6th turns the tide

NEW YORK -- The Nationals were looking for early offense and solid starting pitching against the Mets on Wednesday, and they got both with a one-run lead through five innings.

But a deciding sixth frame flipped that lead to a Nats deficit, and the offense went quiet after that in a 6-2 loss at Citi Field.

“We’ve got to put the pressure on the other team,” manager Dave Martinez said. “I’ve said it before -- when the bullpen comes in and they’re scratching and clawing to save the games like that, our offense has got to pick them up.”

After allowing a home run in the second at-bat of the night to Brandon Nimmo, southpaw Patrick Corbin held the Mets scoreless for the next four innings. The Nationals’ one-run advantage, though, was erased when New York sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs in the sixth.

Corbin had escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and retired the side in order in the fifth -- including Nos. 1-2 hitters Francisco Lindor and Nimmo -- before facing J.D. Martinez to open the sixth. Corbin’s first pitch was a 90.7 mph four-seamer that Martinez lined into left field. In a 1-2 count against Pete Alonso in the next at-bat, Corbin delivered a sinker at the top of the zone that Alonso lined sharply to right field for a single.

“Alonso, everyone kind of knows where you’re trying to throw him,” Corbin said after pitching five-plus innings while allowing eight hits and four runs with one walk and five strikeouts. “It’s kind of where I was trying to go, maybe a little more out over the plate than I’d like. Sometimes you’re trying to go up, and in that case, I was. They had good swings on those pitches, and I wasn’t able to get them out.”

Like in the at-bat against Alonso, Corbin got ahead, this time 0-2 versus Mark Vientos. And again, Vientos did damage with a sinker at the top of the zone. A 366-foot fly ball to right field for a double drove in Martinez.

The game-tying run marked the end of Corbin’s 19th start and brought in righty reliever Derek Law with runners on second and third.

“I was just trying to get a ground ball, hopefully to somebody, and obviously hold the runs,” said Law. “It’s kind of frustrating. It didn’t work out how it’s supposed to. It’s kind of been that way, at least recently, especially. It’s just unacceptable, honestly.”

Law loaded the bases on a four-pitch walk to Francisco Alvarez. Jose Iglesias put the Mets ahead, 4-2, with a two-run single into center field to drive in Alonso and Vientos. While Alvarez was tagged out in a rundown between second and third, Iglesias advanced to second base.

Law quickly got back into trouble with one out when Tyrone Taylor singled into center to put runners on first and second. He got Harrison Bader to ground into a forceout at second base, but second baseman Luis García Jr. sailed a throwing error past first baseman Juan Yepez. Instead of the inning ending, Iglesias scored from second to make it a 5-2 game.

Law has allowed 20 of 29 inherited runners to score this season. Martinez reiterated that the veteran “has good stuff,” but he needs to get ahead in counts and improve his pitch location.

“You can’t give up on him,” said Martinez. “We’ve only got eight guys, nine guys down there. When he’s on, he’s really good. We closed a 1-0 game with him. We’ve just got to get him squared away and get him back in the zone.”

The Nationals shook up their batting order in hopes of boosting their offense against Mets right-hander Luis Severino. Martinez penciled in an all-lefty top of the lineup of CJ Abrams, James Wood and Jesse Winker, shifting Lane Thomas from the No. 2 spot to No. 6.

For the first time since May 5, 2023, Thomas hit sixth or lower in the order. When the Nats last started three left-handed batters in the Nos. 1-3 spots on May 22, Abrams, Eddie Rosario and Winker were tabbed against Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson. Thomas was on the injured list.

Abrams, Wood and Winker combined to go 0-for-9 with two walks and three strikeouts.

“[Getting] five hits, two runs, that’s the big thing here,” Martinez said. “We’ve got to hit. We’ve got to score some runs. Yesterday, we scored some runs late. Today, we got on Severino a little bit there, and then the at-bats went away again.”