Mets beat Nationals 2-1 on Marte's single in 10th inning

NEW YORK (AP) — Starling Marte lined a game-ending single in the 10th inning that lifted the New York Mets to a critical 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.

New York moved a game ahead of rival Atlanta for the final National League wild card when the Braves were blown out 9-0 at home by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Cool,” pitcher Sean Manaea said with a grin. “Let’s keep it going.”

Playing again without Francisco Lindor, who will be sidelined for a few more days due to a sore back, the Mets got just two runners beyond first base in the first seven innings. But then Jose Iglesias, replacing Lindor at shortstop and atop the lineup, hit an RBI infield single off the glove of reliever Derek Law with two outs in the eighth.

Tyrone Taylor, who doubled leading off, scored from third as Iglesias improved to 11 for 23 (.478) with two outs and runners in scoring position this season. He has a 10-game hitting streak and is batting .323 in 73 games overall after not playing in the majors last season.

“I think we’ve got something good going,” Iglesias said. “Just glad to be part of it.”

In the 10th, automatic runner Harrison Bader advanced from second base to third on a flyout to deep right field by Francisco Alvarez. Marte ripped a one-out single off Jacob Barnes (8-3) down the line in left field, where James Wood barely budged as Bader trotted home.

Marte, who sat out Sunday’s game in Philadelphia after being hit in the left forearm by a pitch, has been a semi-regular player after missing nearly two months with a bone bruise on his right knee. He spiked his helmet as he rounded first base before being swarmed by a group of teammates led by Jesse Winker, who tore off Marte’s uniform as he was being doused with water.

“This is a guy that’s been a pretty good player in this league for a long time, and when he’s healthy, when he’s feeling good, he’s dangerous,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “A lot of guys will continue to step up and today it was Marte.”

It was the 11th walk-off victory for the Mets this year, tied for most in the majors. New York (82-68) also clinched a winning season on Marte’s 11th career game-ending RBI, his first this season.

“For the players to be able to go out there and chase me with water and ice and throw it on top of me, that’s all that matters,” Marte said through a translator.

Washington (68-82) was assured its fifth straight losing season since winning the 2019 World Series.

Reed Garrett (8-5) worked a hitless 10th, when automatic runner José Tena was stranded at third after a sacrifice bunt. The Nationals were hitless in their final eight plate appearances with a runner on.

Manaea allowed one run and four hits over seven innings. The left-hander has lasted at least 6 2/3 innings in seven consecutive outings.

Jake Irvin gave up one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings for the Nationals.

“You know this team is known to put some runs up on the board,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “They didn’t today thanks to Jake and our pitching, It all came down to a couple of key at-bats. We couldn’t get the job done.”

REMEMBERING ED

The Mets aired a video tribute and held a moment of silence before the game in honor of Ed Kranepool, who died last week at 79. His grandson, Ethan, threw out a ceremonial first pitch to Kranepool’s son, Keith.

Ed Kranepool, a New York City native, debuted with the Mets at age 17 in 1962 and played his entire career with the team. He holds the franchise record for games played (1,853) and ranks in the top five in hits, doubles and RBIs.

“He really loved everything and anything he could do to contribute to the organization,” Keith Kranepool said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: SS CJ Abrams (left shoulder) missed his fourth straight game but took batting practice and could be nearing a return.

Mets: Lindor (back) hopes to miss only a few more days after an MRI revealed no structural damage. Lindor played in the Mets’ first 147 games before sitting out Saturday and exiting Sunday’s game after one inning. … Marte (left forearm) entered in the eighth, when he grounded out as a pinch hitter with Taylor on third.

UP NEXT

The three-game series continues Tuesday night, when Mets RHP Tylor Megill (3-5, 4.48 ERA) is scheduled to face LHP Mitchell Parker (7-9, 4.24).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Sean Manaea pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Washington Nationals' Jake Irvin pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Jose Iglesias celebrates after hitting an RBI single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Jose Iglesias celebrates after hitting an RBI single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Edwin Diaz pitches during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Starling Marte gestures as he runs to first base after hitting an RBI single during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Washington Nationals' Jake Irvin pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Sean Manaea pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Jose Iglesias hits an RBI single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Starling Marte, front right, and Francisco Alvarez, center left, celebrate with teammates after a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Starling Marte (6) celebrates with teammates after a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Starling Marte gestures as he runs to first base after hitting an RBI single during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Starling Marte hits an RBI single during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Saturday drew a direct link between immigration and an attack in Germany where a man drove into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers, killing at least five people and injuring 200 others.

During a rare appearance before independent media in Budapest, Orbán expressed his sympathy to the families of the victims of what he called the “terrorist act” on Friday night in the city of Magdeburg. But the long-serving Hungarian leader, one of the European Union's most vocal critics, also implied that the 27-nation bloc's migration policies were to blame.

German authorities said the suspect, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, is under investigation. He has lived in Germany since 2006, practicing medicine. Describing himself as a former Muslim, the suspect shared dozens of tweets and retweets daily focusing on anti-Islam themes, criticizing the religion and congratulating Muslims who left the faith.

Orbán claimed without evidence that such attacks only began to occur in Europe after 2015, when hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees entered the EU after largely fleeing war and violence in the Middle East and Africa.

Europe has in fact seen numerous militant attacks going back decades including train bombings in Madrid, Spain, in 2004 and attacks on central London in 2005.

Still, the nationalist leader declared that “there is no doubt that there is a link” between migration and terrorism, and claimed that the EU leadership "wants Magdeburg to happen to Hungary too.”

Orbán's anti-immigrant government has taken a hard line on people entering Hungary since 2015, and has built fences protected by razor wire on Hungary's southern borders with Serbia and Croatia.

In June, the European Court of Justice ordered Hungary to pay a fine of 200 million euros ($216 million) for persistently breaking the bloc’s asylum rules, and an additional 1 million euros per day until it brings its policies into line with EU law.

Orbán, a right-wing populist who is consistently at odds with the EU, has earlier vowed that Hungary would not change its migration and asylum policies regardless of any rulings from the EU's top court.

On Saturday, he promised that his government will fight back against what he called EU efforts to “impose” immigration policies on Hungary.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during his annual international press conference in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during his annual international press conference in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during his annual international press conference in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during his annual international press conference in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during his annual international press conference in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)