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NEW YORK -- Daniel Murphy is torching major league pitching and no one is burned more than his former New York Mets teammates.Murphy, who is leading the majors in hitting, homered for the sixth time this year against the Mets, drove in four runs, leading Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals over New York 6-1 Saturday night.Oh my gosh, how many superlatives can you say? Scherzer said when asked about Murphy. This guy is just absolutely hitting the cover off the ball. He just understands what he is doing at the plate. He has such a great feel for the strike zone and when he gets his pitch, he hits it, and he is hitting these guys pretty good.Murphy had a run-scoring single in the third inning, an RBI double in the fifth and launched his 16th home run in the seventh. He is hitting .349 overall -- hes batting .438 (21 of 48) with 19 RBI against the Mets after becoming a free agent in the offseason and signing with Washington.Murphy refused to discuss his accomplishments against the team that he led to the NL pennant.His focus was on the Nationals, their season and winning this four-game series, with the Nats leading 2-1. Even being booed at Citi Field didnt seem to draw a reaction.I guess it means you are doing something to help your ballclub win a game, against that team, Murphy said. Thats the way I look at it.The NL East leaders now have a five-game lead on the Mets. At 53-36, they set a team record for wins before the All-Star break, snapping the mark from 2005, the clubs first season in Washington after the move from Montreal.Nationals manager Dusty Baker did not understand the booing. He added Murphys hitting reminded him of some of the great players he either played with or managed -- Orlando Cepeda, Rico Carty, Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent and Moises Alou..He is not missing much, Baker said. His concentration level is beyond compare right now.Baker is not surprised that Murphy has hit the Mets.Anybody who has gotten traded or came back to play their old team, definitely it means a lot to them, Baker said.Mets manger Terry Collins said Murphy is taking advantage of mistakes.You know, hes pumped up to play against us and show us we made a mistake, Collins said. Thats human nature and its part of the game. We just got to make better pitches. Were giving him balls to hit. They were good pitches to hit. Weve got to do a better job.Scherzer (10-6) gave up three hits and an unearned run in seven innings. He joined fellow Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg (12-0) in having 10 wins before the All-Star break.Logan Verrett (3-6) gave up five runs on only four hits in 6 2/3 innings, but he was hurt by walks. His first three all scored, including one to Scherzer.The Mets staked Verrett to a lead in the first. Jose Reyes drew a leadoff walk, Curtis Granderson followed with a single and both runners advanced on left fielder Jayson Werths throwing error back to the infield.Scherzer minimized the damage, giving up a sacrifice fly to Neil Walker and striking out Asdrubal Cabrera and Brandon Nimmo. The hard-throwing righty cruised the rest of the way, fanning nine.THE EYE HAS IT:After walking Alejando De Aza with two outs in the seventh, Baker considered taking out Scherzer. He went to the mound and asked the righty how he felt. The pitcher said he was still strong and wanted to finish the inning.Baker wanted to see the look in Scherzers eye to confirm that, so he asked the pitcher which eye he should look at. Scherzer has a blue eye and a brown one.He said the expletive brown eye, Baker said with a laugh. The pitcher stayed in and got Travis dArnaud on a liner to left.Scherzer explained after the game, the brown eye, his left one, is his pitching eye.DE AZA STARTS: De Aza started for Cespedes in center field and and had two singles and a walk. He struck out to end the game with a heavy rain starting to fall and the fans getting up to leave.TRAINERSS ROOMNationals: Baker expects Joe Ross (7-4) to return to the roster after the All-Star break, but he did not have an exact dathe te. Ross was placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier this month with right shoulder inflammation.Mets: Noah Syndergaard (arm fatigue) and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (strained right quadriceps) are not going to play in the All-Star Game in San Diego. Both will attend Tuesdays game. There was no definitive word on how long they will be out, but Collins indicated that neither injury was major.UP NEXTWashingtons Gio Gonzalez (4-8, 4.79 ERA) pitches Sunday against Steven Matz (7-4, 3.34) in a matchup of lefties. Gonzalez has lost seven of his last eight decisions, but he is 7-1 in his career at Citi Field, with a win this year. Matz has lost his last three decisions. Fake Lakers Jerseys . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Los Angeles Lakers Pro Shop . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. https://www.lakersjerseycheap.com/ . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. Lakers Jerseys 2019 . LOUIS -- Rookie Tavon Austin has missed another day of practice, lessening the odds hell be ready for the St. Custom Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. ESPN announced Monday it will continue to be the official broadcaster of the Special Olympics World Games through 2019, with coverage expanding globally for the upcoming Winter Games.More than 2,600 Special Olympics athletes and coaches from 106 countries are set to compete in Austria on March 18-25 in what is expected to be the largest Special Olympics World Winter Games in history. Per the agreement, ESPN and ABC will broadcast the Games opening and closing ceremonies, daily competition and nightly highlights across at least 190 countries and territories, as well as stream those events through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.Thanks to ESPN, Special Olympics athletes will be showcased to the world for everyone to witness and appreciate their gifts, talents and courage, Special Olympics CEO Mary Davis said in a statement. Our athletes are often forgotten in sports, and in many aspects of life, so the attitude-changing coverage ESPN will provide will help us get that much closer to achieving our vision of creating inclusive communities all over the world.AAs part of the agreement, ESPN will also be the rights-holder for the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle and the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games, whose location has not yet be determined.ddddddddddddThe Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria are going to be a remarkable showcase of the power of sports to have a positive impact on peoples lives said Russell Wolff, executive vice president, ESPN International. Were extremely excited about our coverage plans and very proud to again be showcasing the Special Olympics movement across our media, bringing the amazing competition, athleticism, stories and spirit on display in Austria to millions of fans around the world.The Special Olympics, founded in 1968, offers year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, according to the organizations mission statement. ' ' '