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Mets rally past Nationals for 3-game sweep

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Yoenis Cespedes hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning moments after pinch-hitter Kelly Johnson connected for a tying shot, and the New York Mets rallied past the Washington Nationals 5-3 Wednesday night for a pivotal three-game sweep.

Jacob deGrom pitched seven strong innings in a tight duel with Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg, who struck out a season-high 13.

Johnson’s leadoff drive against Strasburg tied it 2-all before Cespedes teed off for a two-run shot against struggling Drew Storen, sending the Mets to their third consecutive comeback victory in the series.

The sweep extended New York’s lead in the NL East to seven games over Washington with 23 to play. The Mets have won six straight against the Nationals, including a three-game sweep at Citi Field from July 31 to Aug. 2.

Bryce Harper homered twice, doubled and scored three times for Washington, but it wasn’t enough.

Last season’s NL Rookie of the Year, deGrom (13-7) gave up two runs and five hits. He struck out nine and walked two.

Strasburg (8-7) was charged with three runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings. He was pulled after Curtis Granderson’s single, and Cespedes drove Storen’s second pitch into New York’s delirious bullpen in left-center for a 4-2 lead.

It was the 14th home run for Cespedes since the Mets acquired him from Detroit on July 31.

Storen was right in the middle of a meltdown by the Nationals’ bullpen Tuesday night, when Washington squandered a six-run lead in an 8-7 defeat. The former closer gave up a three-run double to Cespedes and walked three straight batters, allowing the Mets to tie the game in a six-run seventh.

New York also rallied from behind Monday and beat the Nationals’ bullpen after starter Max Scherzer left with the score tied at 5.

Harper hit his second homer of the game in the eighth to make it 4-3. Michael Conforto answered for New York with an RBI single off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth.

Jeurys Familia closed for his 39th save.

Atlanta 8, Philadelphia 1: Julio Teheran threw seven impressive innings, Christian Bethancourt hit a go-ahead solo homer and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-1 Wednesday night.

Teheran (10-7) gave up one run and four hits to help Atlanta take two of three and avoid tying the Phillies for the worst record in the majors. The Braves had lost 12 in a row and 19 of 20 before coming to Philadelphia.

Michael Bourn had four of Atlanta’s season-high 18 hits. Bethancourt and Hector Olivera each had three hits. The trio entered the game batting a combined .170 (37 for 218).

Miami 5, Milwaukee 2: Tom Koehler tied career-highs with 10 strikeouts over eight innings and Christian Yelich had a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning, and the Miami Marlins beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Wednesday night.

Koehler (9-13) won for the first time since July 23, at San Diego, ending a seven-game losing streak. He allowed two runs, four hits and two walks.

He threw 68 of his 104 pitches for strikes before turning it over to A.J. Ramos, who pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 31 chances.

Baltimore 5, N.Y. Yankees 3: CC Sabathia’s strong start in his return from the disabled list was undone by Stephen Drew’s fielding misplays, Steve Pearce hit a tiebreaking, eighth-inning home run off Adam Warren and the Baltimore Orioles rallied past the New York Yankees 5-3 Wednesday night.

Baltimore had lost 15 of 18 and faded from postseason contention before winning the final two in the three-game series. New York began the night 1 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Toronto, which opens a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Ortiz hits 498th HR: David Ortiz has hit his 498th home run in the third inning of Boston’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Big Papi drove a 2-0 fastball into the center-field bleachers for a three-run homer that gave the Red Sox a 4-0 lead.

Tampa Bay 8, Detroit 0: Jake Odorizzi pitched six strong innings and the Tampa Bay Rays hit four homers in an 8-0 rout of the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.

Detroit had won the first two games of the series, each by one run, but weren’t competitive in the finale.

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