Nationals jump ahead, ride bullpen to win over Mets

Josh Bell homered and drove in two runs to help lift the host Washington Nationals to a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday.

Dylan Crews provided an RBI double and scored twice for the Nationals while Drew Millas had an RBI triple.

Rookie Brad Lord (4-6) improved to 2-0 in his last three starts despite allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Cole Henry worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth before Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Clayton Beeter retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth, respectively. Jose Ferrer secured his third save after inducing Luis Torrens to ground into a game-ending double play.

New York's Brett Baty homered in his second consecutive contest and Jeff McNeil added a two-run double for the second straight day.

Pete Alonso added an RBI double for the Mets, who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt.

Washington benefited from a catcher's interference call en route to loading the bases in the third inning. Crews scored the game's first run as CJ Abrams legged out an infield single, then Robert Hassell III scored on Bell's sacrifice fly to center to stake the Nationals to a 2-0 lead.

Washington doubled the advantage in the fourth when Crews ripped a double off Kodai Senga (7-5) to plate Paul DeJong before trotting home on Millas' triple to right.

Baty put New York on the board in the fifth when he deposited a 2-2 fastball from Lord over the wall in right-center.

The Nationals regained their four-run advantage in the fifth when Bell sent a 2-1 cutter from Senga over the wall in right-center.

Francisco Lindor scored on Alonso's double into the right field corner in the sixth inning and McNeil followed with a two-run double to left to chase Lord.

Cole Henry relieved Lord and promptly loaded the bases before inducing Cedric Mullins to fly out and Torrens to ground out to end the threat.

Senga yielded five runs (four earned) on six hits in five-plus innings to fall to 0-2 in seven starts since returning from an injured-list stint due to a strained right hamstring.