Game #17: Mets 2, Nationals 0

With some surprisingly good pitching, and a touch of generosity from the opposition, New York completed its thaw-out from the previous week in grand style.

John Buck's moonshot gave Dillon Gee and company all the run support it needed as the Mets knocked off the Nationals 2-0 to win the teams' first series of the year.

The Good Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• On a 3-1 fastball from Jordan Zimmerman in the bottom of the 2nd, John Buck continued his stampede to NL Player of the Month, blasting off a rare upper-deck home run to put his team on the board. The solo shot was his seventh round-tripper of the season (more than halfway to his total last season) and league-leading 22nd RBI.
• Mike Baxter's sac fly in the 4th provided Dillon Gee some much-welcome (if not needed) insurance, as Gee turned in 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits, three walks, and striking out six on 98 pitches.
• New York stole two more bases on the afternoon, as Jordany Valdespin stole third in the 1st inning and David Wright swiped second in the 5th.
• After Gee walked the bases loaded in the 6th, LaTroy Hawkins came on and calmly struck out Ian Desmond to preserve the Washington goose egg.
• Brandon Lyon cruised to a 1-2-3 7th, but Scott Rice had some trouble to lead off the 8th, allowing a single to Steve Lombardozzi and a walk to Denard Span. Now here's where the aforementioned generosity comes in to play: after working the count to 3-0, Jayson Werth was given the swing away sign, which he promptly turned into a 6-4-3 double play to let Rice mostly off the hook. Not even Bryce Harper could save this rally, as Rice took care of him by way of the K.
• Bobby Parnell pitched a brilliant 1-2-3 9th, striking out two Nats en route to his second save of the season.

The Bad Stuff:

• The team went 0-8 with RISP and stranded seven castaways on Gilligan's Island. But they won the game anyway, so we can forget about them. They'll be fine; they've got the Professor. And Mary Ann.

Final Analysis:
That'll do. Dillon Gee finally showed signs of life on the mound and John Buck continued his Flushing Renaissance, as the Mets held their own in what turned out to be a hard-fought and very exciting series. With the New York-Washington rivalry only set to heat up as the weeks, months, years go by, the taste of what's to be we got this weekend makes it that much more scintillating.

MM