A day after Matt Harvey beat the Nationals in a tight pitcher’s duel, the Mets suddenly stagnant offense wouldn’t let Jon Niese do the same.
Niese gave the Mets a strong outing, and every opportunity to win, but the Mets wasted both, blanked 1-0 by Gio Gonzalez and a Nationals team they’ve vowed to start finding a way to beat.
The NL East-leading Mets (16-9) have lost four of their last five games, and six of their last nine. Though the Mets were dominated by Washington last season, the tenor of this year’s matchups has been nail-biting pitchers’ duels. Get used to it.
“This is how it’s going to be played, in my opinion,’’ manager Terry Collins said. “With their pitching staff, you’re going to see almost a No. 1 starter every single night, so you’ve got to pitch well yourself. We did that tonight: We just didn’t get to Gio.’’
After going just 4-15 against the Nationals last season, the Mets have dropped 16 of their last 18 home games against the Nationals. And Saturday, a Citi Field crowd of 39,730 watched them suffer their first shutout and squander a gem by Niese (2-2).
“It wasn’t very pretty,” said Niese, who scattered nine hits over seven strong innings, walking just one and striking out five. “I got through it and executed when I needed to, the defense made plays when they needed to. Unfortunately, we just came up short.
“It was lots of ground-ball [singles], stuff that hit the hole. But give them credit.’’
Niese connived his way into and out of trouble all night, facing early base runners and figuring ways to work around them. He held Washington to just 1-for-8 with men in scoring position, and stranded nine runners, allowing just Michael Taylor’s RBI infield single in the second inning in seven resourceful innings.
Niese was resourceful, but unrewarded because that run was one too many, with Gonzalez (2-2) shutting the Mets out for seven innings and striking out nine. When the Mets didn’t hit, they ran themselves right out of rallies.
The tone was set in the first inning, when Lucas Duda hit an opposite-field double, but Juan Lagares was unwisely sent by third-base coach Tim Teufel and got thrown out at the plate 7-6-2.
Washington got its only run the next frame. After singles by Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa, Taylor hit a two-out, infield single off the glove of Daniel Murphy, now starting at third with David Wright’s return at least a week away.
They can’t get his bat back fast enough.
On a night the ball wasn’t carrying, Duda saw a drive die on the track in left to end the third. He followed up by meekly grounding out to first with men on second and third to ends the fifth.
Some solid glove work got Niese out of danger in the sixth. With two on, Murphy made a nice backhand play on Espinosa’s grounder and got Desmond at second, a play initially ruled safe but overturned by replay. Shortstop Ruben Tejada — starting for struggling Wilmer Flores — made a nice backhand grab and throw to get Taylor and end the danger.
But another base-running gaffe cost the Mets in the bottom of the inning. Dilson Herrera got his first hit since being called up, but got thrown out trying to take second. They went down in order in the last three innings, Drew Storen getting his sixth save.
“That’s how both teams are built,” Cuddyer said. “You saw that these three games. They’ve been tough right at the end.
“Both teams can pitch. These are the kind of games you’re going to get.’’