With Megill’s fastball breaking out and extensive appearances for their fashion lineup, the Mets won 5-1 at Nationals Park and continued to dominate the franchise on Opening Day. The Mets improved to 40-21 of all time in the open for a rate of 0.656 wins which is by far the best in the MLB. Megill was commissioned for Opening Day only because Jacob deGrom made the injury list and Max Scherzer needed an extra day for his tight thigh. Looking like the pitcher who helped make the Mets spin for about two months last season, Megil fired five innings shutouts and allowed three innings of six hits. The right-hand man peaked at 99 mph in the first inning and kept his fastball in the 97-98 mph range for most of his trip. “I will remember that,” Megill said. “The first of many.” Offensively, the Mets were 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position, a respectable appearance for a team that has struggled in this category in recent seasons. Robinson Kano scores in a row during the Mets 5-1 victory over the Nationals in the first game of the home team. Corey Sipkin “Up and down throughout the lineup I feel we have a very mature approach and I feel we made great swing decisions,” said Pete Alonso. “We gathered a ton of baseball tonight. “It was awesome and the impact of the situation was great.” Alonso withdrew from the game in the ninth period after a Mason Thompson court grazed his shoulder and punctured the protective flap that covered his mouth. Alonso’s lip was torn by the force of the impact, but he said he was fine after going through the concussion protocol. Robinson Cano, Mark Canha and Alonso each reached the base three times in one night as the Mets survived with two off-field hits. The Showalter, who took over as Mets manager in December, returned to the dugout in a game that counted for the first time since leaving the Orioles after the 2018 season. Taylor Megil scored five goals without a score in the victory of the Mets. Corey Sipkin Megil had only thrown 68 pitches and retired eight consecutive hits, but moved away to start the sixth instead of facing the top of Washington’s hitting streak for the third time. Trevor May came in and allowed the 99th Homer into Juan Soto’s career, a solo explosion on a fast 96 mph left over plate. Megil had won a battle against Soto in the third round, overcoming the sluggish runners in corners and one out before Nelson Cruz retired. “He just made some quality pitches on quality strikers,” said Showalter. “You like to see men have other equipment there.” In the previous frame, Megil put Maciel Franco to hit in a double game with an end, acquitting Francisco Lindor for a throwing error. Pete Alonso, who was hit by a pitch later in the game, watches his single in the sixth period of the Mets victory. Corey Sipkin Offensively, the Mets were rolling in the middle innings. Already ahead 2-0, they received a single RBI in the sixth from Canha, after Alonso had stood out for the second time in three innings. Jeff McNeil’s single RBI double against Austin Voth buried the Nationals in a four-run hole. Lindor’s single RBI in the seventh, after JD Davis’ double lead, gave the Mets a 5-1 lead. James McCann took a slipper from Patrick Corbin from the back of the foot for a kick from the pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth to give the Mets their first turn of the season. The selection of Starling Marte’s RBI player extended the lead to 2-0 before the relief Victor Arano made Davis strike in a double-ended game. Cano pushed the inning with a leadoff bunt single in the third base against the shift and Canha walked before McNeil’s single in the center loaded the bases. “As long as they gave me the third base open, I would try to hit it that way,” Kano said. “They just gave it to me… why not?” Alonso nailed himself to the plate trying to score from the first to Eduardo Escobar’s double for the quarter-finals. Alonso should have scored easily, but he stumbled rounding the third base and then appeared to be running uphill for the last 45 feet. Alonso had a single two out against Corbin before Escobar fired a shot in the left-hand center. “We flew well and had some timely hits and played quite well abroad,” said Showalter.
