WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Jacob Young added a two-run shot in the eighth and the Washington Nationals returned to .500 for the second time since the season’s first week Wednesday night with an 8-4 victory over the New York Mets.

Andrew Alvarez earned the Nationals’ first four-inning save since they relocated from Montreal in 2005. Washington improved to 25-25 after getting to 23-23 on Saturday before consecutive losses.

Juan Soto homered twice for the last-place Mets (21-28). It was the 29th multi-homer game for Soto, who came up with the Nationals and has 12 home runs and 26 RBIs in 35 career games against Washington.

The $765 million slugger has five homers in his last seven games overall.

Washington pounced quickly on left-hander Zach Thornton, who made his major league debut for New York. After Curtis Mead singled with one out and Andrés Chaparro walked, Abrams ripped a cutter just over the wall in right-center for his 10th home run.

Keibert Ruiz added an RBI single to beat a drawn-in infield in the second against Thornton (0-1), who allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings while striking out three.

Zack Littell (3-4) allowed Brett Baty’s run-scoring single in the second, and Soto’s solo shot in the third brought the Mets to 4-2. Littell then retired seven of the next eight hitters to get through five innings. He allowed two runs and struck out three.

The right-hander was 0-4 with a 7.85 ERA in his first six appearances with Washington. In four games since, he is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA.

Alvarez yielded Soto’s two-run homer in the eighth, but didn’t allow any other runners past first in his four-inning outing to earn his first career save.

Anthony Telford had the franchise’s previous four-inning save for the Montreal Expos in 1999.

Up next

Washington RHP Cade Cavalli (1-2, 4.05 ERA) starts the finale of the four-game series Thursday against LHP David Peterson (2-4, 5.40).

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