On the Mets beat

Adam Ronis here to moderate tonight's game. The Mets (63-56) trail the first-place Phillies by one game after a win over the Nationals last night and the Phillies losing 4-3 against the Dodgers. John Maine (9-7, 4.13 ERA) returns from the disabled list after missing time with a strained right rotator cuff. His last start came on July 28. He is 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA this season.

Jason Bergmann (2-8, 4.13 ERA) takes the mound for the Nationals. Bergmann has pitched well for most of the season and has received no run support. He won on Thursday for the first time since May 15 when he beat the Mets. He is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA in four career starts against the Mets. Former Met Lastings Milledge has a 13-game hitting streak.

Bottom 9: Stokes gets the side in order for a four-inning save. Mets win, 12-0.

Top 9: A. Reyes singles. Wright strikes out. Evans flies out. Chavez doubles. Murphy pops up. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Bottom 8: Stokes allows one hit, but pitches a scoreless inning. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Top 8: Beltran grounds out. Murphy singles. Tatis flies out. Schneider walks. Stokes singles. J. Reyes lines to short. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Bottom 7: Flores strikes out. Belliard strikes out. Harris singles. Orr pops out. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Top 7: A. Reyes grounds out. Wright walks. Delgado grounds into a double play. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Bottom 6: Stokes pitching. Zimmerman singles. Kearns grounds into a double play. Milledge pops up to left. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Top 6: Ayala pitching, Schneider grounds out. Cancel pinch hits for Maine and grounds out. J. Reyes grounds out. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Bottom 5: Belliard flies out. Harris walks. Langerhans strikes out. Bonifacio walks. Guzman grounds into a fielder's choice. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Top 5: Wright fouls out to right. Delgado flies out. Beltran walks. Murphy hits a two-run opposite field homer. Tatis lines to center. Mets 12, Nationals 0

Bottom 4: Zimmerman strikes out. Kearns strikes out. Milledge walks. Flores grounds out. Mets 10, Nationals 0

Top 4:Colome pitching. Tatis grounds out. Schneider walks. Maine walks. J. Reyes flies to center. A. Reyes grounds out. Mets 10, Nationals 0

Bottom 3: Harris grounds out. Castro strikes out. Bonifacio walks. Guzman strikes out. Mets 10, Nationals 0

Top 3: Wright singles. Delgado walks. Beltran grounds out to first advancing both runners. Murphy singles to left driving in his sixth run in just his 25th at-bat. Tatis hits an RBI single to left making it 4-0. Schneider walks to load the bases. Maine walks to force in a run. J. Reyes hit an inning-ending double play, but Guzman let it get past him scoring two runs. It's scored a single for now. No way that's a hit. It's later changed to an error. A. Reyes strikes out. Wright walks. Delgado walks to score Maine. Bergmann has walked five in the inning and second with the bases loaded. Beltran hits a two-run double. Murphy lines out to left. Mets 10, Nationals 0

Bottom 2: Kearns flies out to right. Milledge singles up the middle to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. Flores grounds out to Schneider in front of the plate, Milledge to second. Belliard flies to right. Mets 2, Nationals 0

Top 2:Tatis homers to left. Schneider grounds out to second. Maine fouls out to first. J. Reyes doubles to right-center. A. Reyes grounds to short. Mets 2, Nationals 0

Bottom 1:Bonafacio strikes out looking after being ahead 3-0. Guzman grounds out to second. Zimmerman grounds out to short.Good start for Maine. Mets 1, Nationals 0

Top 1:Jose Reyes reaches on an infield single. Argenis Reyes singles to left on a perfect hit and run to send Jose to third. Wright hits a sac fly, his 94th RBI of the season. Mets lead, 1-0. Delgado walks on a full count. Beltran pops up to shallow right. Murphy grounds out to Bergmann. Mets 1, Nationals 0