New York Mets at Washington Nationals: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYM | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| WSH | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | 8 | 10 | 0 |
The Story
The Washington Nationals defeated the New York Mets 8-4 at Nationals Park on May 20, 2026, a game that was never particularly close after the home side jumped out early and held firm through nine innings. The DiamondIQ model's estimate had Washington entering with a 61 percent win probability, and by the final out that figure had climbed to 100 percent as the Nationals built and protected a lead that the Mets could never fully threaten.
The decisive sequence came in the bottom of the first inning, when Washington scored three runs to set the tone immediately. Juan Soto was the central figure on the offensive side of the ledger, delivering the two most impactful individual plays of the afternoon for New York. His home run off Zack Littell in the third inning added 8.0 percent in win probability for the Mets, and his second home run, this one off Andrew Alvarez in the top of the eighth, added another 8.4 percent, giving him a combined WPA of plus-14.7 alongside a RE24 of plus-2.5. Those two swings accounted for both of New York's runs in those frames and represented the Mets' best opportunities to close the gap. Washington answered in the bottom of the eighth when Jacob Young hit a home run off Craig Kimbrel, adding 7.2 percent in win probability and effectively sealing the outcome. A critical moment for New York came in the top of the seventh, when Marcus Semien grounded into a double play against Alvarez, a sequence that cost the Mets 5.7 percent in win probability and extinguished a potential threat.
On the Washington side, Keibert Ruiz was the standout contributor with a WPA of plus-9.4 and a RE24 of plus-1.3, his single off Zach Thornton in the second inning carrying a 5.7 percent win-probability swing that helped the Nationals extend their advantage. Jacob Young finished with a WPA of plus-8.5 and a RE24 of plus-2.5. Among pitchers, Zack Littell led the staff with a WPA of plus-7.8, while Andrew Alvarez added plus-4.4 despite surrendering the Soto home run. Austin Warren was the most costly arm on the day, posting a WPA of minus-6.0, as Washington finished with ten hits and committed no errors against the Mets' seven hits and one error.