PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Steven Matz put his Spring Training troubles behind him and David Wright hit his first homer of the spring as the Mets played to a 4-4 tie with the Nationals on Sunday at Tradition Field.
Matz entered Sunday's game carrying an 8.31 Grapefruit League ERA through his first three starts this spring, but he turned in his best outing, yielding only one hit -- a solo home run to Clint Robinson -- through 5 2/3 innings, with four walks and five strikeouts.
"It's nice to get some results during Spring Training," Matz said. "You're out there working on stuff. That's what this is for, but it's nice to get some results."
Wright put the Mets ahead early in the first inning, driving a solo home run to right field off Yusmeiro Petit. Michael Conforto, who has been suffering from back spams recently, added a two-run home run in the second inning to extend the Mets' lead.
New York tagged Petit for four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Meanwhile, Matz cruised through the first three innings and held Washington's split-squad lineup without a hit until the fourth, when Robinson pulled his home run inside the right-field line.
"Very encouraged," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Real good stuff. Real good [changeup] today. He didn't throw very many breaking balls, but they were pretty good, the ones he threw. The only mistake was the hanging slider."
Matt den Dekker, who played with the Mets from 2013-14, helped start the Nationals' comeback with a run-scoring single in the seventh to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Nats added a pair of runs in the eighth. First, Chris Heisey grounded into a forceout with the bases loaded. den Dekker was at the plate when a throwing error by left-hander Jerry Blevins allowed Washington to tie the game.
Up next for the Braves:Freddie Freeman and the rest of Atlanta's projected starters are expected to be in the lineup when the Braves host the Astros on Monday at 6:05 p.m. ET. Mike Foltynewicz will take the mound and attempt to solidify his bid to begin the season as Atlanta's fifth starter. Foltynewicz significantly enhanced this bid with 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the Astros last week.
Up next for the Mets:Bartolo Colon will take the mound as the Mets travel to Roger Dean Stadium to face the Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. ET on Monday. Asdrubal Cabrera will play in his first Grapefruit League game since March 10, when he strained the patellar tendon in his left knee. Carlos Martinez will start for the Cardinals.