MLB: Washington 5, New York Mets 2

NEW YORK, July 25 (UPI) -- Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 over seven innings in pacing the Washington Nationals to a 5-2 win Wednesday and three-game sweep of the New York Mets.

Strasburg (11-4) allowed just four hits and left the game with a 5-1 lead.

He then had to watch as Washington relief pitching loaded the bases with walks in the eighth before getting out of the jam. The Nationals blew a 9-0 lead in Strasburg's start Friday.

After the shaky eighth inning, in which a New York run scored on a Jordany Valdespin ground out, Tyler Clippard pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 18th save.

The only run Strasburg allowed came on a second-inning Ike Davis home run.

Washington supported Strasburg with three home runs. Michael Morse and Danny Espinosa led off the second with back-to-back homers off New York starter Jeremy Hefner (1-4).

The Nationals added an unearned run in the fourth when Espinosa scored on a play in which Mets catcher Josh Thole was charged with an error. Washington's Adam LaRoche made the score 5-1 with a two-run home run in the eighth.