Those Mets

K-ROD SPOILS DICKEY'S GEM

Saturday's game was supposed to be about Stephen Strasburg. But most of the intrigue did not begin until long after Strasburg left the game. Well after Strasburg threw his last pitch, Ivan Rodriguez hit a walk-off single to lift the Nationals over the Mets, 6-5. Summoned to protect a two-run lead in the ninth, Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez instead loaded the bases on two walks and a single. With one out, Adam Dunn then hit fly ball to straightaway center that bounced off the top of the wall and back into play. After consulting video replay, umpires stood by their original ruling of a game-tying, two-run double. The next batter, Rodriguez, served a game-winning single into right field. The late rally spoiled a solid effort from Mets starter R.A. Dickey, who allowed just two unearned runs in seven innings. With the Mets stuck in a 2-2 tie in the eighth, Alex Cora -- who tripled home three critical runs in Friday's victory -- lined a leadoff triple into the right-center field gap. The next batter, David Wright, hit a scorching single off the glove of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and into left field. Josh Thole then doubled home Wright and Ruben Tejada hit a sacrifice fly, giving the Mets a three-run cushion. Given their curiosity and the perpetual hype surrounding Strasburg, the Mets could not help but come away perhaps a bit underwhelmed. After Jason Bay doubled to convert one of three first-inning walks into a run, the Mets scored again on Thole's RBI single in the third. All the while, they managed to elevate Strasburg's pitch count, chasing him after five innings and 96 pitches. (MLB.COM)