Nationals edge Mets in 11 as Mullins miscue, Lile inside-the-park HR seal 5-3 win

Washington beat the Mets 5-3 in 11 innings at Citi Field on Sept. 20, 2025, as Daylen Lile delivered an inside-the-park homer for two runs, helping the Nationals erase an early deficit and seal a late victory. The two-run dash capped a rally that began after New York built a 3-0 lead against rookie Nolan McLean and extended Washington's night of uneven defensive play into extra innings.

The loss featured a costly miscue by Cedric Mullins in center field earlier in the game, a misplay that helped fuel the Nationals' three-run second inning. Two Mets errors in the frame opened the door for Washington to manufacture its first sustained offense against McLean, setting the stage for a game that remained tight the rest of the way.

The ball bounded off the angled part of the center-field wall, and Mullins chased it toward the gap. He got it to Francisco Lindor, the relay to Francisco Alvarez sailed over the catcher’s head, and Daylen Lile slid across the plate to complete a 14.86-second sprint around the bases. The play produced two runs, with the automatic runner Andrés Chaparro scoring from second on the same sequence and the Nationals extending their lead to 5-3 in the 11th inning.

"My first thought was to make a play on the ball," Mullins said afterward. "We were playing a little shifted over because Rogers is a unique pitcher, so the defensive alignment is a little different. He put a good swing on it, and I thought I got a decent jump. Once I realized that I wasn’t gonna have a play, I tried to stop myself to be able to read it off the wall. Just got up on me pretty quick." Mullins, who was acquired from the Orioles at the trade deadline, acknowledged the moment was avoidable if he had read the wall better and locked in on the play.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza described it as a tough break in a game that showcased how quickly errors can swing momentum. "It’s a tough one there, but once you realize that you have no chance on that play, maybe you give yourself a better chance to play it off the wall," Mendoza said. He added that the ball’s angle and bounce limited the team’s options, especially given the shifted alignment and the pitcher on the mound.

The Mets had entered the game hoping to erase a rough stretch in which they have shown defensive lapses with some frequency. The night’s miscues powered Washington’s offense for a longer stretch than the Mets would have preferred, and the late rally underscored the team’s difficulty in closing out games late after nine innings. The Nationals had previously built a 3-0 lead in the second inning as McLean navigated the first inning jitters and a misfiring defense behind him.

The Mets’ defense has been a recurring storyline this season, and this night reinforced how a single miscue can balloon into a costly inning that ultimately colors the result. The game marked another example in which New York’s offense labored to overcome an early deficit, and the bullpen failed to keep the opposition from mounting a late push. The outcome left the Mets with a 0-66 record this season when trailing after eight innings, a statistic that underscores the uphill climb they faced in a game many felt was winnable despite the early missteps.

Earlier in the evening, Jose Siri had been booed by the home crowd after multiple misplays the previous night, illustrating the pressure points for a club chasing consistency. The Nationals, meanwhile, capitalized on the Mets’ misplays and timely hitting when it mattered most, turning a potentially damaging loss into a victory that kept Washington in postseason contention while prolonging New York’s slides.

As the clubs turn the page toward the rest of the schedule, the Mets will hope a stronger focus on defense and situational execution can translate to fewer self-inflicted wounds. For Washington, the win offered a reminder that the club can manufacture outs and score in bunches when opportunities arise, even against a bullpen that has shown flashes of resilience at times this season.