Nationals' MacKenzie Gore: Can't escape fifth inning

Gore (6-8) took the loss Thursday, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks over 4.2 innings against the Mets. He struck out four.

Gore was embattled in a scoreless pitchers' duel with Mets starter David Peterson through four but fell apart in the fifth, loading the bases to set up a Brandon Nimmo's bases-clearing double that ended Gore's day. Nimmo later scored, saddling Gore with a fourth earned run on his line. Following a start to the season that saw Gore allow three or fewer earned runs in 14 of his first 15 starts, the lefty has now allowed four or more runs in three of his last four outings. While his WHIP has risen just 0.05 points from 1.38 to 1.43 over that four-start stretch, his ERA has risen from 3.26 to 4.01.