Nationals complete wild comeback against Mets with walk-off throwing error

It looked like injury added to an insult at Nationals Park on Sunday. The home team was already trailing the New York Mets by five runs in the second inning when right fielder Alex Call collided with second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., sending the pair tumbling to the ground in pain.

Instead, it paved the way for an unlikely 8-7 comeback win over a division rival with Garcia and Call as the heroes.

The battered duo remained in the game, though both stayed on the ground for a few concerning moments. Center fielder Dylan Crews had to pry the baseball from a limp Garcia’s glove to keep a runner from advancing.

“I didn’t see him just because I had my eyes on the ball. Luckily, instincts take over: outfielders go low and infielders go high,” a bruised Call said after the game. “At least we didn’t get a head-on collision.”

Garcia made the catch, but Washington was still in a hole.

Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker allowed six runs in the first two innings, causing his 1.39 ERA to balloon as New York’s lead grew.

In the near-fatal first two innings, Parker allowed five hits and issued four walks. The game looked like it was already over.

The pitcher settled down as the game wore on, though. He allowed just one more run in five innings of work.

As Parker struggled, New York’s Tylor Megill excelled on the mound. Through six innings, he had allowed just one hit — a solo home run by Washington rookie Dylan Crews.

Megill pitched 6 1/3 innings, recording nine strikeouts in the process.

The Nationals never lost hope.

“It’s about the process. Sometimes you’ve got to forget the results, just understand who [your players] are and what they can do, continue to work with them, give them the confidence that they need,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said after the game. “Today was one of those days.”

The rally began in the seventh inning with Washington trailing 7-1. Garcia — who stayed in the game despite the earlier collision — gave fans reason to believe with a lead-off double. Designated hitter Josh Bell allowed him to score on a single two batters later.

Call notched an RBI single of his own in the same inning to keep the inning alive.

It was an unlikely hero who gave the Nationals a real shot to win: backup catcher Riley Adams. The 28-year-old was making just his third start of the season to give usual backstop Keibert Ruiz a day off.

Adams made the most of the opportunity, sending a three-run homer into center field to cut the Mets’ lead to one. Even with two runners on, he wasn’t trying to hit it too hard.

“I never try to take a big swing. Sometimes it happens, but I’ve never had success trying to hit a ball hard,” Adams said. “I just had to relax and ease up a little bit.”

While the bats came alive, Washington’s bullpen kept the score close with four relievers combining to pitch four shutout innings.

It seemed unlikely two hours earlier, but the Nationals entered the bottom of the ninth with a chance for a walk-off. They delivered.

Call opened the inning with a double, mirroring the lead-off performance by Garcia two innings earlier. Pinch runner Jacob Young replaced him, tying the game on a single by shortstop CJ Abrams.

Star outfielder James Wood drew a walk, bringing Garcia back up to the plate with one out and a runner in scoring position.

It looked like disaster — the ground ball to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso had the makings of an inning-ending double play.

“He better run,” Martinez said of his thought process on the final play. “And I was hoping that CJ would just keep going.”

Martinez’s players didn’t disappoint. The hard-hit ball caught Alonso on his heels, and Garcia’s sprint down the first-base line forced an errant throw from the first baseman. The ball sailed over the head of pitcher Ryne Stanek, who rushed to cover the bag.

“The first thing I thought about was running down the line, keeping my head down and running as hard as I can,” Garcia said through an interpreter. “Then when I finally looked up and noticed where the pitcher was, that the ball went past him, I just felt the excitement.”

Meanwhile, Abrams never broke his stride. He rounded third base and sprinted home after the error, sealing the comeback for Washington.

It was the seventh one-run win for the 13-15 Nationals, tied for the most in the league. It’s become a habit.

After years of hard-fought losses, the wins are a change of pace for Washington fans.

“It’s a collective group that understands what they need to do to finish games,” Martinez said. “Little bit of maturity, little bit of growth and just being that much more hungry — understanding that the little things matter.”

With the win, the Nationals (13-15) trail the Mets (19-9) by six games in the NL East.

The two squads will end their four-game series on Monday afternoon.