NEW YORK — Brandon Nimmo hit a three-run homer and drove in all the Mets’ runs, Marcus Stroman took a shutout into the sixth inning and New York beat the Washington Nationals 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday.
The four RBIs tied a career high for Nimmo, who homered in the second against Sean Nolin (0-1) and singled in the fourth to make it 4-0.
The Mets won for only the third time in 10 games, a stretch that saw them fall from first to third in the NL Central.
Victor Robles hit an RBI double for depleted Washington, which traded away eight players at the deadline and dropped to 5-15 in its last 20 games.
Stroman (8-11) allowed one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings to break a three-start losing streak. He struck out eight and walked two.
Stroman cruised before finding bit of trouble in the sixth. Riley Adams led off with a walk, pinch-hitter Andrew Stevenson singled and Robles’ double scored Adams. Stroman struck out Alcides Escobar and reliever Aaron Loup walked Juan Soto to load the bases before inducing a double-play grounder from Josh Bell.
Edwin Díaz tossed a scoreless ninth for his 25th save in 29 chances.
Stroman, who hadn’t won since throwing a one-hitter at Cincinnati on July 21, battled through hot, humid conditions at Citi Field. In the fourth, he grimaced after fielding a grounder. He hunched over briefly, was visited by a trainer and resumed his outing after drinking a bottle of water.
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