Luisangel Acuña hits first home run as Mets crush Nationals, extend wild-card lead over Braves
NEW YORK — It didn’t take long for Luisangel Acuña to atone for his first MLB error.
After the rookie shortstop’s missed catch at second base helped give the Nationals an early lead Tuesday, Acuña delivered an RBI double and his first MLB home run in the Mets’ 10-1 win.
With the victory, the Mets (83-68) opened up a two-game lead over the Braves for a National League wild-card spot with 11 games to play. Atlanta lost, 6-5, in Cincinnati on Tuesday night after leading 5-1.
Making his first-ever start at Citi Field, the 22-year-old Acuña dropped a throw from third baseman Mark Vientos on a would-be force out in the top of the third inning.
The ball scooted away from second base, allowing Washington’s Jacob Young to advance to third as CJ Abrams reached at first. James Wood’s force out then put Washington up, 1-0, on an unearned run for Mets starter Tylor Megill.
But Acuña responded.
In the bottom of the third, Acuña lined a run-scoring double against Nationals starter Mitchell Parker, tying the game, 1-1, with his first career RBI.
Acuña came around to score the go-ahead run on a two-run bloop single by Pete Alonso, and Vientos capped a four-run inning with a sacrifice fly.
Acuña added a sixth-inning single, then scored on Alonso’s three-run home run. The 375-foot blast was Alonso’s team-leading 33rd home run and gave him 86 RBIs, tying him with shortstop Francisco Lindor for the most on the Mets.
And in the bottom of the eighth, Acuña ripped a 414-foot solo shot against reliever Joe La Sorsa. He finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
Acuña repeatedly gave Mets fans reasons to cheer, as did the Braves’ loss, which earned an eruption from the Citi Field crowd as that score became final. The Mets began Tuesday only a game behind the Diamondbacks for the second wild-card position.
Acquired in the July 2023 blockbuster trade that sent Max Scherzer to the Rangers, the speedy Acuña made his MLB debut Saturday in Philadelphia and has now appeared in four games.
The prized prospect entered Monday night’s 2-1 win over Washington in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement at shortstop and recorded four putouts before Starling Marte’s walk-off single ended the game in the 10th.
Acuña — the younger brother of injured Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. — is part of the Mets’ solution at shortstop as Lindor recovers from a lower back injury.
After an MRI came back clean Monday, Lindor said he plans to return this season, and possibly this week, but he missed his second game in a row Tuesday. Lindor has now either left early from or missed five games in a row.
The unearned run was the only offense the Nationals mustered Tuesday against Megill, who struck out four against two hits and two walks over six solid innings.
The towering right-hander continues to come up big for the Mets down the stretch, pitching to a 1.69 ERA in his four starts since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Aug. 30 to replace the injured Paul Blackburn.
The Mets won all four of those games.
It’s been quite the turnaround for Megill, who owned a 5.17 ERA when the Mets optioned him to the minors in early August. That ERA is now down to 4.08.
The Mets continue to handle their business against Washington (68-83), the final team with a losing record remaining on their schedule. The Mets are now 10-2 this season against the Nationals, whom they will attempt to sweep Wednesday night.