NEW YORK (AP) -- Lucas Duda homered twice and hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning after newcomer Yoenis Cespedes was walked intentionally, leading the New York Mets to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night in front of the second largest regular-season crowd ever at Citi Field.
Playing in his first game since being acquired from Detroit Friday at the trade deadline, Cespedes was walked by reliever Matt Thornton (1-1) even though Duda had connected twice on fireworks night off Joe Ross and has been on a recent tear.
 
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With 42,996 fans on their feet and cheering, Duda drove a 1-2 pitch the opposite way to left field that short-hopped the wall. Curtis Granderson, who doubled leading off the inning, scored to put New York ahead.
The Mets beat the NL East-leading Nationals with a big, late hit for the second straight night to move within a game of first place with one game to go in this series.
New York fell behind in the first on Ian Desmond's two-run single off Jacob deGrom. Ross held New York without a hit until Duda sent a shot to center field with two outs in the fourth. Duda then homered to left field leading off the seventh for his eighth long ball in seven days, with three multihomer games.
The big first baseman connected twice off Ross. Four days earlier, Duda hit one of his three homers against the Padres off Joe's brother Tyson Ross.
Joe Ross allowed only two other hits in 6 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out sixth in his sixth major league start.
Hansel Robles (3-2) struck out Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth in the eighth for the win. Jeurys Familia was perfect in the ninth for his 28th save, striking out Michael Taylor with the elated crowd stand and chanting "Let's go Mets!" for the final out.
Cespedes batted third and received a polite standing ovation when he came to the plate in the first. He grounded out in his first two at-bats. But he got a rise out of the crowd in the sixth when he hit a long flyball to left that went foul. He struck out. He was 0 for 3 with the walk.
 

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