But Reyes struck out with runners on first and third, and looked bad doing it. He is still hitless in 11 games, but Callaway said he felt Reyes would be a good matchup against the left-handed reliever Sammy Solis. Reyes said later he is having difficulty figuring a path to success as a pinch-hitter.

“I need to adjust to my new role,” Reyes said. “I’ll figure it out.”

After the Nationals extended their lead to 4-2 in the top of the seventh, the Mets had a tantalizing chance to get even, or at least cut into that lead, in the bottom half of the inning. After one-out singles by Yoenis Cespedes and Wilmer Flores, the Mets had runners at first and third. Now, perhaps, it was their chance for a dramatic comeback.

But Ryan Madson, the veteran relief pitcher, struck out Frazier and Jay Bruce to escape the danger. The Nationals added another run in the top of the eighth to ease the pressure on their bullpen, which did its job in holding the Mets to a lone single over the last two innings.

Part of the reason some Mets fans reacted so adversely to Monday’s loss was the state of the Nationals’ injury-depleted roster: Daniel Murphy (knee), Adam Eaton (ankle) and Anthony Rendon (toe) were out of action.

“We’ll get there,” Nationals Manager Dave Martinez said before the game. “These guys, I know they’re progressing. Hopefully, our team will be stocked and ready to go real soon.”

Those are not encouraging words for the Mets. They had enough trouble dealing with Bryce Harper, who had homered in three straight games against the Mets. He went hitless on Tuesday, but knocked in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the third inning, and he walked twice.

The Nationals added two more runs in the fourth inning as Wheeler walked Michael A. Taylor and Wilmer Difo floated a ball into right field, just over the head of Mets second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, scoring Moises Sierra. Taylor went to third and scored on a single to left by Pedro Severino.