Division-title hopes dashed, Mets still sweep DH vs. Nats

The New York Mets were eliminated from the National League East race hours before completing a doubleheader sweep and earning their 100th win of the season Tuesday night. New York opened the nightcap against the visiting Washington Nationals with three consecutive homers on their way to an 8-0 victory. The Mets (100-61), who reached the 100-win mark for the first time since 1988, maintained their division-title hopes by winning the opener 4-2. However, they were officially relegated to a wild-card series when the Atlanta Braves edged the Miami Marlins 2-1 during the fifth inning of New York's nightcap. The Mets, who spent 175 days in first place, are the fourth seed in the NL and will host a best-of-three wild-card series beginning Friday against either the San Diego Padres or Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves (101-60) swept the Mets in Atlanta last weekend to surge into first place and win the season-series tiebreaker 10-9. The Nationals (55-106) were assured of finishing with the worst record in baseball following their loss in the opener. The Mets scored seven first-inning runs Tuesday night -- matching their run total in the three games against the Braves. Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil opened the game with homers off Paolo Espino. It was the first time in franchise history -- dating back to 1962 -- the Mets have hit three straight homers to start a game. Mark Canha lofted a sacrifice fly and Luis Guillorme (RBI double) and Nimmo (two-RBI single) added run-scoring hits later in the first. Francisco Alvarez, the consensus top prospect in baseball, capped the scoring by hitting his first career homer in the sixth. Jeff McNeil, the NL batting leader, went 1-for-5 after going 2-for-3 in the opener. He is batting .326 and sits just ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman, who began play Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies with a .325 average. Stephen Nogosek (1-1) was credited with his first major league win after tossing 2 2/3 innings of three-hit ball in relief of Taijuan Walker. The New York starter was pulled with one out in the fifth moments after the Braves' win became official. Walker allowed four hits, walked none and struck out 10. Espino (0-9) got just one out and was charged with seven runs on five hits and two walks with no strikeouts. The right-hander threw 113 1/3 innings this season, finishing just short of the major league single-season mark for innings pitched without a victory. Terry Felton set the record of 117 1/3 innings in 1982 while going 0-13 for the Minnesota Twins. --Field Level Media