Mets 8, Nationals 0: Seven-Run Fourth Backs Clay Holmes

The lead

April 28, 2026 - New York - The New York Mets badly needed a clean night, and they got one. Clay Holmes threw six scoreless innings, Bo Bichette opened the game with a homer, and Juan Soto capped a seven-run fourth as the Mets beat the Washington Nationals 8-0 at Citi Field.

The Mets came in stuck in a miserable stretch, with ESPN noting they had won only twice in their previous 17 games. They also entered the night near the bottom of the league in run production. For one game, none of that mattered. Holmes controlled the Nationals, and the lineup finally turned one opening into a full inning.

How the game turned

Bichette changed the tone on the first pitch he saw from Zack Littell, driving a leadoff homer to give New York a 1-0 lead. That was the only Mets damage for a while, but Holmes made the single run feel larger by keeping Washington quiet.

The game broke in the fourth. MJ Melendez singled, Mark Vientos and Brett Baty walked, and Marcus Semien hit a grounder that looked like a possible inning-ending double play. Instead, third baseman Jorbit Vivas misplayed it, and two runs scored.

Carson Benge followed with a two-run single, Bichette added a sacrifice fly, and Soto finished the inning with a two-run homer. Suddenly the Mets led 8-0, and the rest of the game became about finishing a badly needed reset.

Pitching and matchup notes

Holmes was the anchor. He allowed three hits, walked one, struck out six, and lowered his ERA to 1.75. The Nationals only got one runner into scoring position against him, and Holmes escaped that second-inning spot by striking out Luis Garcia Jr.

After Holmes, Tobias Myers threw two hitless innings and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth. That gave New York a three-hit shutout and kept the bullpen script simple.

Littell took the loss after allowing eight runs, four earned, in 3 2/3 innings. The error hurt him, but the walks before it and the hard contact after it made the inning impossible to escape.

Bats that changed the board

Bichette had the cleanest start, homering on the first pitch and later driving in another run with a sacrifice fly. Soto's homer was his second of the season and his first since returning from the injured list. Benge's two-run single was just as important because it turned Washington's mistake into a real crooked inning.

For the Nationals, there was almost nothing to build on offensively. They managed three hits and never forced the Mets into the kind of bullpen scramble that could have made the night interesting.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

The Mets ranked second on the April 28 AthX Engine team board with 19 team FP, and Holmes ranked third among pitchers with 24 AthX Engine pitching FP. Bichette also landed on the hitter board with 8 hitting FP.

This was a team fantasy win built on run prevention and one huge inning. AthX Engine rewards shutout context, but the seven-run fourth created the separation that pushed the Mets near the top of the team board.

What comes next

The Mets still need more than one win, but this was the right type of win: starter length, bullpen calm, and a lineup that did not waste its big chance. Washington needs a better response after a defensive mistake, because one error became an entire game.

For AthX traders, Holmes is the clearest signal. Bichette and Soto matter too, but the biggest daily shift was the Mets showing they could still produce a full team score when the first real opening appeared.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB Gameday, ESPN recap, CBS Sports/AP coverage, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*