TDs.When we play its always going to be a battle,

NEW YORK -- Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and the Washington Nationals stole this one from Noah Syndergaard.Harper hit two doubles and became the latest player to swipe a base against Syndergaard, helping A.J. Cole post his first major league win as the Nationals beat the New York Mets 4-1 Friday night.Washington won its fourth in a row and increased its NL East bulge over the wild card-contending Mets to 10 1/2 games.Like a lot of teams, the Nationals came out running on Syndergaard, stealing four bases in the early innings.Its all around the league that he doesnt hold runners yet, Washington manager Dusty Baker said.Tall and slow to the plate, Syndergaard has had 45 runners steal with him on the mound -- the most against any pitcher since Hideo Nomo in 2001, ESPN Stats & Info said.Baker said the strategy does more than set up runs. It also seems to rankle Syndergaard.Hes prideful, Baker said. After a steal, he added, he looks at the runner and doesnt like it very much.Only six runners have been caught with Syndergaard pitching. Before the game, Mets manager Terry Collins said Syndergaard had improved at holding runners on base.Maybe, but after Turner led off the game with a single, he stole two bases and scored on Harpers sacrifice fly.Just told myself at first to go, Turner said.With 20 steals, Turner set a Nationals-era record for most by a rookie. Hes also reached base safely in 21 straight games.Yeah, hes real fast, very aggressive, and Noahs going to have trouble with those kind of guys, Collins said.Harper doubled with one out in the fourth, stole his 19th base with two outs and came home on a single by Wilson Ramos. Harpers double set up Anthony Rendons two-run single in the ninth.The key to hitting Syndergaard, Harper said, is to not chase tough pitches he throws.Cole (1-1) gave up one run and three hits in six innings. He struck out five in his fourth big league start.This is what Ive been working toward, the 24-year-old righty said.Asdrubal Cabrera homered for the sixth time in eight games, sending a drive over the right-center wall in the Mets fourth. His 19th home run came one pitch after he hit a long fly that barely hooked foul into the upper deck in right field.Mark Rzepczynski, Koda Glover, Oliver Perez and Mark Melancon combined for three innings of scoreless relief. Melancon closed for his 38th save.Syndergaard (12-8) gave up just three hits in seven innings and retired his final 10 batters.Along with shutting down the Nationals in the middle innings, Syndergaard might have shut down the crowd, too. Earlier this week, he wrote on Twitter and said on video that he wasnt a fan of fans doing the wave.Daniel Murphy singled in the ninth, and has a hit in all 14 games against the Mets this season. He also stole a base against the team he boosted to the World Series last year.TENNIS, ANYONE?The U.S. Open is being held right across the street from Citi Field, and Harper said he didnt play tennis as a kid growing up in Las Vegas. Being on the court at 120 degrees, I didnt want that, he said. But even a few years ago, tennis had a hand in his development, sort of. My dad used to pitch me tennis balls, he said. Theyre hard to square up with a bat, harder than a baseball. You have to hit them just right or you foul them off. Made for a lot of frustrating swings.COVER CHARGEMets leadoff man Jose Reyes struck out twice in going 0 for 4, but he still managed to knock the cover off the ball. Literally, he did. In the first inning, Reyes hit a foul that kept spinning quickly in the batters box, with a flap of the ball coming loose. Reyes and Ramos watched it spin into the dirt for several seconds.TRAINERS ROOMNationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (sore elbow) threw a bullpen and was feeling good, Baker said. There was no timetable for his return to the rotation, but Baker figured probably pretty soon.Mets: Collins said LHP Steven Matz (shoulder tightness) will head to the teams spring training complex in Florida after this weekend and start throwing again Monday. Matz is on the disabled list and hasnt pitched since Aug. 14.UP NEXTNationals: RHP Tanner Roark (14-7, 2.87 ERA) is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA at Citi Field in seven games, four of them starts.Mets: RHP Robert Gsellman (1-1, 3.72) makes his second major league start. Among those in attendance will be Laurie Hernandez, who won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic womens gymnastics team and will throw out the first ball. Sheldrick Redwine Jersey .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. Bernie Kosar Womens Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. http://www.brownsrookiestore.com/Browns-Ozzie-Newsome-Jersey/ .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Greedy Williams Jersey . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Joe Thomas Jersey . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Never mind that No. 2 Ohio States clash with No. 3 Michigan this week is the most meaningful contest between the bitter rivals in a decade. In Columbus, the game against The Team Up North doesnt need any additional hype.Legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes hung the TTUN moniker on Michigan so he wouldnt have to say the name of the hated state and school. The tradition continues to this day here. So does the contempt.We dont like them, and they dont like us, quarterback J.T. Barrett said.We dont say that M word, guard Billy Price said.Both teams are 10-1, and the winner of the rivalry games 113th version likely will end up in the final four of the College Football Playoff.We approach it as its `The-Team-Up-North week, so that already has its own standard and level of expectation, Barrett said. So as far as us being ranked in the top five, both teams, I dont think thats changed it.Ohio State will see the nations top-ranked defense after windy conditions forced the Buckeyes to take to the ground to beat Michigan State 17-16 last Saturday. The win came also thanks to a failed 2-point attempt after the Spartans scored with 4:41 left in the game. Chris Worley intercepted a Tyler OConnor pass in the end zone that would have put Michigan State ahead. Gareon Conley picked off another pass late in the fourth quarter to seal it.Michigan struggled with Indiana and the weather last week, beating the Hoosiers 20-10 in the blowing snow. Theres a good chance the Wolverines will again haave their backup quarterback John OKorn playing in place of injured Wilton Speight.dddddddddddd OKorn also will face a stout Ohio State defense thats given up just 12 touchdowns this season and allowed only four rushing TDs.When we play its always going to be a battle, linebacker Chris Worley said. You can take the records and throw them out, you can take the seasons and throw them out, honestly. Its all about one thing -- just beat `The Team Up North.Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has emphasized rivalry games at every coaching stop, and he thinks that was developed while growing up in Ohio and being around the culture of Ohio State-Michigan.I think that came from Coach Hayes and (former Michigan coach) Bo Schembechler, Meyer said. I just think that was the classiest -- both programs had a tremendous respect for each other, both coaches did, and they played so damn hard.Elflein, who grew up and went to school in the Columbus suburb of Pickerington, said the magnitude of the annual game was drilled home for him years ago.It was like another holiday, I remember that, Elfelin said. Youd have your Thanksgiving Day celebration and there was a quick turnaround for a big party, a big celebration.---More AP college football at www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 .---This version corrects to OKorn---Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacy ' ' '