It was another disappointing game for the Mets on Thursday afternoon, losing to the Washington Nationals, 9-3, and dropping the series in the process.

After winning the final two games against the Seattle Mariners over the weekend to win their first series since late July, things were looking up for New York following a series-opening win against the Nationals on Tuesday that made it three in a row. 

Perhaps the tide was finally turning for a team that had been saying for the last two months it needed to play better. What followed, however, didn't inspire much confidence as the Mets let the final two games in Washington slip away and were left in the same exact spot they've been in for the last two months.

"We just got to be better, bottom line," said manager Carlos Mendoza after the game.

Thursday's culprit was Sean Manaea, who began the game by dominating the Nationals lineup, striking out seven in the first three innings as his offense gave him a quick lead. But after such a strong start, Manaea unraveled in the fourth before completely falling apart in the fifth.

The left-hander lasted 4.2 innings and allowed four earned runs -- the fourth straight outing that he's given up four or more as part of a terrible month of August in which he has a 7.91 ERA in 19.2 innings.

"I just lost feel for my sweeper right there and then just lost control of my fastball at the end there, too," Manaea said.

It's becoming a trend lately for the 33-year-old to pitch well in the first few innings before hitting a wall during the second time through the lineup. In fact, as a staff, the Mets entered Thursday with a 7.14 ERA in the fourth inning over their last 61 games -- second-highest behind the Miami Marlins (7.65 ERA).

Citing that he feels good physically after his late start to the season with a right oblique strain and a left elbow setback, Manaea had a hard time explaining why that's been the case for him.

"I wouldn’t say fatigue. I feel good," he said. "I really have no explanation for why I’m hitting that wall."

When asked what he could do to counter it, Manaea's answer was equally concerning.

"I don’t know. I think that’s key. I think I’m doing everything in between starts, so I just gotta execute," the lefty said.

As for his skipper, Mendoza was clear in his message to Manaea, and the rest of his starters for that matter, who have not gotten the job done as one of New York's front-line starters.

After all, the Mets' streak of starters not named David Peterson unable to pitch six innings is still active.

"It starts with our starters. They set the tone," Mendoza said. "When they go, the whole team pretty much goes. And it’s been hard for these guys the past two months basically, dealing with injuries, getting guys back. 

"But at this point, with everybody pretty much healthy, we need to be better. We need to be better. And they know that -- talking about [Kodai] Senga, Manaea tonight. We need those guys. And they know they’re capable of giving us a chance to win baseball games and right now we’re not doing that. It’s frustrating, they are frustrated."

With the calendar getting ready to flip to September, time is running out for New York to figure things out, which is why the message continues to be the same as it has been for the last two months: Just play better.

At some point, though, words aren't enough.

"We gotta get going. We gotta see results," Mendoza said. "We’ve seen it from this group, especially from the guys that I mentioned. It starts right there. We don’t have much time left, so we gotta play better."

"It ain’t late, but it ain’t early either," said Juan Soto about having enough time to turn it around. "We have to win today. We don’t have to be focused on what is gonna happen in the future or what has happened in the past, we gotta focus on what we can do today."

The Mets dropped the rubber game against the last-place Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon, losing 9-3.

Here are the takeaways...

-For the first time since late July, it looked like Sean Manaea was poised to have a good day on the mound. The left-hander began his outing by retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced, including seven via strikeout. The only hit Manaea allowed over the first three innings was a ground-rule double by Brady House that got stuck in the left-field wall padding and barely missed being a home run. 

Still, after the first hard-hit ball against him and the first Nationals chance to score, Manaea came back to strike out two to end the inning and leave the runner stranded at second.

-From then on, though, things got tricky for the lefty. The fourth inning began with another strikeout, Manaea's eighth of the game, but catcher Hayden Senger couldn't stop the sweeper and CJ Abrams reached safely on the wild pitch charged to Manaea. After a lineout, a single and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Abrams came around to score on Dylan Crews' groundout to second base. Brett Baty made the play going to his right, cutting off Francisco Lindor who might have had a chance to step on second and double up Crews even with his speed.

-After surrendering just the one run in the fourth, Manaea was back out for the fifth and paid for another defensive misstep. Following a single to start the inning, Jacob Young laid down a sacrifice bunt which was handled by Pete Alonso. Instead of getting the sure out at first base, Alonso threw to second to try and get the lead runner out, but his throw was too late. Alonso's aggressiveness put runners on first and second with nobody out and had Manaea in some more hot water.

The left-hander got one out before hitting his second batter of the game to load the bases once again. Met killer Paul DeJong hit a sacrifice fly to get Washington closer, but Manaea was one out away from escaping further damage. However, he was unable to close the door and walked Andrés Chaparro to end his outing and left with the bases loaded.

-Up by one, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Tyler Rogers to get the final out of the inning and hold onto the lead, but the submariner came in and immediately gave up the lead on a two-run single by Riley Adams. Both runs were charged to Manaea, who went 4.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on three hits, a walk, two HBPs and a wild pitch. 

It's the fourth consecutive outing that Manaea has allowed four earned runs or more after coming off the IL and pitching to a 2.08 ERA in July in four games (three starts). Manaea has an ugly 7.98 ERA in four August starts. His season ERA now sits at 5.15 in 36.2 innings.

-On the other side, pitching for the Nationals, MacKenzie Gore lasted just 4.1 innings and was touched up for three runs, including Lindor's leadoff home run to start the game -- the shortstop's eighth time leading off a game with a homer, a new franchise single-season record. Starling Marte also tagged Gore for a solo shot in the third to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.

-But against Washington's bullpen, which has struggled all season, New York couldn't get anything going. Five pitchers held the Mets scoreless for 4.2 innings and before Lindor's two-out single in the ninth, their last hit was a single in the fourth inning by Cedric Mullins. 

Instead, it was New York's bullpen that let the game get away. 

-After Rogers failed to bail out Manaea in the fifth, the roof caved in on Ryne Stanek in the eighth. The right-hander allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. The big blow came off the bat of the struggling James Wood, who unloaded on a three-run bomb to break the game open and give the Nationals a 9-3 lead. Stanek now has a 5.65 ERA this season and an 18.56 ERA over his last seven appearances (5.1 innings).

-Senger notched his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fourth that put New York ahead 3-0 at the time.

Game MVP: Riley Adams

He finished 2-for-3 and his two RBI in the fifth gave his team the lead that it would not relinquish.

Highlights

Leadoff homer for Francisco Lindor!

His eighth leadoff home run of the season is a franchise record! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GCYbdeigmb

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025

Sean Manaea is up to 5 strikeouts through two innings 💪 pic.twitter.com/2GyEbkNmsZ

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025

Starling Marte solo homer! 💣 pic.twitter.com/z2jXtI0ob5

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025

Hayden Senger's first MLB RBI! pic.twitter.com/nqjzREWtF5

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025

What's next

The Mets continue their road trip with a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves starting on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

RHP Nolan McLean (1-0, 0.00) will make his second career start after a superb outing in his MLB debut and will face off against LHP Joey Wentz (4-3, 4.72 ERA).

Roman Anthony's towering homer vs. Yankees saves Red Sox from frustrating night originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox lost to the Orioles on Tuesday night in large part because they went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

On Thursday night in the Bronx, even though they held a 4-3 lead, it was more of the same from the Boston offense. Through eight innings, the Red Sox were 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position, stranding 14 runners. And though Aroldis Chapman would have inspired plenty of confidence to lock down the one-run save, the closer would be facing the heart of the Yankees’ order in the bottom of the ninth.

Another frustrating night was potentially in the cards for the Red Sox.

But then, the rookie dug in and changed that in a flash.

With David Hamilton on second base after reaching on an error, Roman Anthony ambushed the first pitch from Yerry De los Santos. Anthony did not miss.

The 370-foot moonshot was a no-doubter, and Anthony took a moment to admire it before flipping his bat and trotting around the bases.

The hit improved the Red Sox to 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position, and that made all the difference in the world.

For the 21-year-old Anthony, this was his first career game at Yankee Stadium. He reached base three times — he also walked in the fifth, scoring on a sacrifice fly, and singled in the sixth, plating Hamilton to tie the game at 3-3 — but that final at-bat was the exclamation point that will be remembered for quite some time.

When the Dodgers arrived in Colorado on Sunday night they had a golden opportunity to pad their narrow division lead against with the worst team in the majors. Unfortunately, even with Thursday’s 9-5 win over the Rockies, the Dodgers only managed a split of the four-game series.

They now head to San Diego for a crucial three-game-series against the San Diego Padres with the division lead once again up for grabs.

“I wish we had won all four, but it just didn't happen,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That's just the way baseball is. So we’ve got to go out there and regardless of the standings, we’ve got to beat those guys.”

The standings, however, loom large. On July 7, the Dodgers led the division by six games. The margin is now just a game.

Read more:Rocky, and painful, outing for Shohei Ohtani as Dodgers lose to Colorado

The Padres, who have won 12 of 19 games in August, are the third-hottest team in the National League this month. The Dodgers are a game over .500.

“It is what it is,” Roberts said. “It's where we're at right now and I can't change it. I feel good about our club going into San Diego.”

His club will have a bit of momentum on its side after scoring 20 runs on 30 hits in the two wins at Coors Field. Thursday’s matinee saw four players finish with multiple hits, including third baseman Alex Freeland, who was a career-best three for five with a run scored and another driven in. Freeland had six hits in the final three games in Denver.

“It's just like I'm building confidence now,” said Freeland, who entered Thursday hitting .180 since his call-up from triple-A Oklahoma City three weeks ago. “I've kind of spent a little time here now and I'm getting comfortable.”

The Dodgers also got a fourth straight strong effort from starter Clayton Kershaw (8-2), who gave up three runs in 5⅔ innings. Kershaw has allowed just five runs over 23 2/3 innings this month, dropping his season ERA nearly 50 points to 3.13.

That was also good enough to keep his team in first, something he noted afterward.

“You can't take anything for granted in Colorado, obviously,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we're [one] up going in [to San Diego]. So we feel good about it.”

Freeland agreed.

“We definitely could have produced more. But you know what? We're going to take this one today and take this momentum and bring it into San Diego,” he said.

After Kershaw won the opener of a three-game series with the Padres at Dodger Stadium a week ago, the teams were even atop the N.L. The Dodgers wound up sweeping that series and have won eight of 10 with the Padres overall this year.

“We've played well against those guys this year,” Roberts said. “They're going to give us everything they have this weekend.”

The Dodgers got started early Thursday with Mookie Betts, who reached base four times, opening the game by walking on five pitches. Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run home run, his 16th of the season, to center field.

Read more:Plaschke: The 'legend' Clayton Kershaw is legendary again for Dodgers

The Rockies cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning on a popup that got lost in the sun, a sacrifice bunt, a balk and an RBI groundout. But they would get no closer, with the Dodgers scoring in each of the first five innings to take an 8-2 lead.

Freeland had his first career triple along with a double and single, falling a homer shy of the cycle. He had six hits in the final three games in Denver. Betts finished two for three with two walks and two runs scoring while Freeman, who was two for five, raised his season average to .304 and is hitting .328 for August.

Shohei Ohtani feeling fine

Roberts said pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is fine after taking a line drive off his right thigh in Wednesday’s game. Ohtani was scheduled to have Thursday off and Roberts said he’ll be back in the lineup Friday.

Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates set to return

The Dodgers will activate reliever Tanner Scott before Friday’s game in San Diego and reliever Kirby Yates on Saturday. Scott has been out a month with inflammation in his left elbow while Yates has missed three weeks with lower back pain.

Roki Sasaki making progress

Right-hander Roki Sasaki made progress in his second rehab start Wednesday, going 3⅓ innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits. He walked three and struck out two before leaving after 60 pitches. He will make another rehab start next week before the Dodgers make any decision on his role in September. The team had talked about using Sasaki in a relief role.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.