Nationals vs. Mets: John Lannan replaces Stephen Strasburg and gets the victory

NEW YORK — For the years before this one, the Washington Nationals provided ample motivation to ignore them. And so some of the folks pining Wednesday night for Stephen Strasburg may not have recognized the tall left-hander standing on the Citi Field mound, black hair sprouting from under his cap. They may not have realized what John Lannan has done, the two opening day starts or the 200-inning season. They may have learned that the Nationals are not replacing their shelved ace with an empty uniform, but rather an accomplished major leaguer with a bat-deadening sinker and, after a year in the minors, something to prove.

Strasburg’s spot in the rotation came up for the first time since the Nationals shut him down for the season, and Lannan made the moment sting a little less. In the Nationals’ 2-0 victory over the New York Mets, Lannan fired 5² / ₃ scoreless innings on five hits, all singles, and one walk. His fastball hovered in the low-90s, not near triple digits. His breaking ball kept batters honest rather than buckling their knees. Lannan still delivered results like an ace.

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The Post Sports Live crew discusses the amount of pressure on John Lannan, who has been called up from AAA Syracuse to fill Stephen Strasburg’s spot in the Nationals’ rotation.

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Insight on the Nationals and all the latest news from Post reporters Adam Kilgore and James Wagner.

“Tonight, these guys were over there licking their chops,” shortstop Ian Desmond said. “They finally get to face a starter that’s not throwing 95 or 96. He comes and shuts them down. He did his job. I think that’s what we should expect from them the rest of the way.”

The Nationals’ 12th victory in 15 games pushed their lead in the National League East to a season-high 8¹ / ₂ games over the Atlanta Braves and dropped their magic number on the Braves to 11. The Nationals have pushed the Braves to the brink, and they have a chance to knock them over it during a three-game series this weekend in Atlanta.

“You can definitely feel the difference,” Lannan said. “Being on this team right now is incredible. You can not only see it, but you can feel the chemistry and everything. It’s something special.”

The Nationals’ sweep of the Mets also served to remind how much more they are than Strasburg. They have the organizational depth to summon an established pitcher from Class AAA — for the year, including his two cameo starts in doubleheaders, Lannan is 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA with the Nationals. They still have Ryan Zimmerman, whose homer off Matt Harvey to lead off the fourth provided the night’s decisive run.

The Nationals have seized full control of the division under unprecedented circumstances. In the middle stands Lannan. He replaced a healthy, dominant pitcher the Nationals voluntarily removed from competition. He had spent almost the entire year at Class AAA even after punching up a 3.70 ERA last season.

“It’s definitely strange,” Lannan said. “There’s a lot of strange things going on. What’s going on with Stras, it hasn’t happened before.”

As Lannan spoke in the Nationals’ clubhouse, as if to hammer the point home, Strasburg walked behind him to fish something out of his locker. Despite the obvious story line, Lannan pushed aside the circumstances.

“He doesn’t get caught up in things,” Zimmerman said. “He goes out, he knows who he is. He knows what it takes for himself to be successful, and that’s what he does.”