NEW YORK (AP) - Gio Gonzalez mentioned the tasty Latin food served in the visitors’ clubhouse. And the airplanes that fly overhead. And the pretty features of the ballpark.
But if there’s a real reason why the Washington lefty is so successful at Citi Field, he isn’t saying.
“Any secrets?” he offered. “No.”
Gonzalez pitched no-hit ball into the sixth inning to win again at the Mets’ stadium, and the Nationals beat New York 3-1 on a drizzly Saturday for their sixth straight victory.
Gonzalez improved to 9-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 14 career starts at Citi Field. Overall, he’s 12-5 against the Mets.
“I don’t have any clue,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.
Gonzalez (2-0) gave up two singles in 6 1/3 innings. Washington moved to 5-0 on its road trip that started in Atlanta, with one game left in New York and then four more in Colorado.
Still missing slugger Yoenis Cespedes and other injured starters, New York has lost three in a row and seven of eight.
Koda Glover, the fourth Washington pitcher, completed the combined two-hitter by getting the last out for his first big league save.
Jacob deGrom (0-1) struck out 10 and walked a career-high six in 5 2/3 innings - he matched a career best by fanning 13 in his last start. He was supposed to pitch Friday night, but was scratched with a stiff neck after sleeping on it wrong. Mets pitchers fanned 15 in all.
“I don’t have an answer for you except we’re not hitting,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “Our pitching has kept us in the game, even look today.”
“When you get beat 3-1 and you think you got blown out, that’s not good. Our pitching staff has kept us in games and we’re just not giving them any help,” he added.
Trea Turner returned to the Nationals’ starting lineup from a strained right hamstring and hit an RBI double. A day after being activated from the disabled list, he hustled home on Ryan Zimmerman’s single for a 3-0 lead in the fifth. Turner got two hits and reached on an error.
“Good to see Trea back,” Baker said. “He forces mistakes.”
Gonzalez struck out six and walked three in the 10th straight quality start by Washington pitchers. He worked around a pair of walks in the first, then retired 13 batters in a row until walking pinch hitter Jose Reyes to begin the sixth.
Juan Lagares followed with a sharp single for his 15th career hit off Gonzalez, more than anyone’s gotten against him.
Asdrubal Cabrera made it 3-1 with an RBI single, but Gonzalez struck out Jay Bruce and Neil Walker.
Matt Wieters put Washington ahead with a single in the fourth that scored Bryce Harper. Daniel Murphy also tried to scoot home, but the throw beat him by a lot and he did a brief tango on the dirt around the plate before catcher Rene Rivera tagged him.
Murphy singled twice and ended his 0-for-14 skid. Harper, who began the day with a major league-leading .407 average, walked three times and struck out twice.
GOOD GLOVES
Both teams made nifty catches. Left fielder Adam Eaton rushed in for a sliding grab on Rivera’s liner in the fifth. The next inning, Mets right fielder Curtis Granderson angled into the alley for a diving, backhand stab on Michael Taylor’s drive.
FAST HANDS
Harper also had a nice catch, although it wasn’t with his glove in right field. Steaming from first to third on Murphy’s single in the fourth, Harper’s helmet fell off. Without breaking stride, Harper caught the helmet behind his back and cruised into the bag.
DE NUMBERS
DeGrom became the fifth different Mets pitcher to strike out at least 10 and walk six in a game, the Elias Sports Bureau said. The most recent to do it was Johan Santana in 2009. The others: Nolan Ryan five times, Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: OF Jayson Werth, who’s been out because of groin spasms, hopes to return to the lineup Sunday night.
Mets: After pinch hitting, Reyes stayed in the game at third base. He’s batting just .095. “When you’re around him, you can sense he’s really struggling mentally,” Collins said. … No update on when Cespedes (hamstring) will be able to play.
UP NEXT
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (2-1, 1.37 ERA) starts Sunday night against a team he’s recently dominated. Beginning with his no-hitter at Citi Field in his final 2015 outing, Scherzer has an 0.61 ERA in his last four starts vs. the Mets, striking out 46 and giving up just eight hits in 29 2/3 innings.
Mets: RHP Zack Wheeler (1-1, 5.52) is 2-6 with a 5.09 ERA in eight career starts vs. Washington.
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