Washington Nationals at New York Mets: Final Score & Recap

The New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 4-1 at Citi Field on August 14, 2026, in a game that looked like a toss-up entering the evening — the DiamondIQ model's estimate gave the home side just a 49% chance of winning before first pitch — but finished with the model's estimate at 100% in New York's favor. Washington managed to scratch across a run in the third inning and carried a 1-0 lead into the sixth, but the Mets unraveled that advantage decisively over the next two frames, scoring two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to put the game away. The Nationals finished with five hits and committed no errors, but were unable to generate any late-game threat against a bullpen that held firm the rest of the way.

The sixth inning was the turning point, and Francisco Lindor was at the center of it. His home run off Andrew Alvarez represented the single biggest swing of the evening, adding 15.5% to the Mets' win probability according to the DiamondIQ model's estimate and erasing Washington's lead in one stroke. A subsequent single by Carson Benge off Jake Bird further extended the damage, adding another 11.1% to New York's chances in that same frame. Washington's best opportunity to halt the bleeding had come moments earlier in the top of the sixth, but Jacob Young grounded into a double play off Jonathan Pintaro, a play that cost the Nationals 8.3% in win probability and effectively ended their most meaningful offensive sequence of the night. The seventh inning added to the margin when Jared Young connected for a home run off Jake Bird, a swing worth 13.1% in win probability, with Bo Bichette's single off Max Kranick contributing another 7.2%.

Among individual performers, Lindor led all batters with a WPA of plus 13.6% and a RE24 of plus 0.8, while Benge posted a WPA of plus 8.9% and Young added plus 8.1%. On the mound, Jonathan Pintaro led the pitching staff with a WPA of plus 14.5%, followed by Alvarez at plus 11.9% and Nate Lavender at plus 9.6% — a collective effort that kept Washington's lineup in check across the game's most critical stretches. The Nationals fell to defeat despite a clean defensive showing, as their offense managed only five hits and could not recover from the sixth-inning collapse.