Top 9th - Wagner gets the first two batters easily, gives up a single to pinch hitter Aaron Boone - yes, he was booed - then finished the deal by getting Felipe Lopez to strike out swinging. 6-3 final. A tidy 2 hours, 48 minutes after last night's 3 1/2 hour marathon. Eighth save of the season for Wagner. Let's shut it down, folks.
Bottom 8th - Ryan Church the offensive story tonight with four RBI on the night, just now getting one of the Mets two runs in with a deep sacrifice fly. Catcher Brian Schneider led off the inning with a double - he later scored - which was hit third hit of the game. Breathing room at 6-3 now with Wagner coming in to close it.
Top 8th - After the Mets went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Duaner Sanchez got the crowd nervous by walking leadoff batter Cristian Guzman and, after inducing a fly out from Zimmerman, walked Nick Johnson. But Sanchez struck out Lastings "boooooooooo" Milledge and got a easy grounder from Kearns to end the inning. Mets still ahead 4-3.
Top 7th - Nats get one back against Matt Wise, who replaced John Maine, who allowed one earned run and gave up two hits. Dukes led off against Wise with a double and eventually scored on pinch hitter Rob Mackowiak's ground out. 4-3 Mets in the bottom of the seventh.
Bottom 6th - First and second with one out and Reyes at the plate. You know what that means. K. However, Austin Kearns badly misplayed a rocket shot to right by Ryan Church and two runs come in to give the Mets a 4-2 lead. And here comes Matt Wise in relief.
Top 6th - Easley with his second error of the game as he bobbled an easy grounder hit his way by Milledge. But the miscue came with two outs and Maine came back to get Kearns looking. 109 pitches so far for Maine.
Bottom 5th - Looked like the Mets would get something there but Milledge just tracked down a deep Delgado drive on the track to keep it 2-2.
Top 5th - Most effortless inning thus far for Maine, as the Nationals hardly touched him in going down in order. Maine has set down eight straight since giving up the two-run home run to Zimmerman.
Bottom 4th - Mets squander an inning in which John Maine, after failing in two bunt attempts, slashed a single to left. With men on first and second and one out, Jose Reyes grounds into a 5-4-3 double play to keep it 2-2.
Top 4th - Easley didn't quite make up for his third-inning error that cost the Mets a run, but that over the shoulder job there on Nieves quail was something. Still 2-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth.
Bottom 3rd - Mets come right back after Maine gave up a rocket shot two-run homer to Ryan Zimmerman that gave the Nats a 2-1 lead. Ryan Church, after falling behind 0-2, hammered one to deep center to tie it at 2-2. David Wright followed with a good piece of hitting, going the opposite way in slicing a double down the right field line but he gets stranded. tied at 2-2.
Bottom of 2nd - Carlos Delgado bunts for a hit. Looked like part of a big inning for the Mets but they only get one run out of having the bases loaded with none out. Three hits thus far for the Mets and a 1-0 lead.
Top 2nd - Crowd pumped after Lastings Milledge, who after last night's game gave the old, "I want to see how loudly they can boo me," struck out swinging on a 90-mph fastball to start the inning. Austin Kearns followed with a single and Elijah Dukes, the head cheerleader from last night's silliness, walked. Good play by Jose Reyes to clip Kearns on a grounder by Nieves and starting pitcher John Lannan ended the inning by grounding out to Maine.
Bottom 1st - Two-out single from David Wright but Carlos Beltran can do no better than popping out to first. 0-0 after one.
Top 1st - Maine settled in pretty quickly after beaning Lopez to start the inning. He set down the next three in order, including striking out Ryan Zimmerman with an 85-mph slider. Before the game, Annika Sorenstam, who recently announced her retirement from professional golf, threw out the first pitch. It bounced just in front of the plate, but she tossed it from the full 60, which not every first-pitch honoree does.
Erik Boland here at Shea to moderate and perhaps even illuminate during tonight's Mets game. John Maine (4-2, 3.00 ERA) set to take on lefty John Lannan (3-3, 3.40) of the Nationals. Nelson Figueroa, as Anthony Rieber reported earlier, will not be here to act as judge and jury on the proper dugout decorum for the Nationals, as he was designated for assignment this afternoon. The live blogging begins in minutes....