Lagares drives in 3, Mets defeat Nationals 5-2

WASHINGTON (AP) Juan Lagares drove in three runs with a homer and a single, and Bartolo Colon allowed five hits in eight innings and the New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 5-2 Saturday.

Lagares came in 5 for 27 in his past 11 games, but he provided a jolt for the struggling Mets.

He singled in a run during a three-run first and homered with one on and one out in the third to give New York a 5-0 lead.

The Mets' outfielder added a defensive gem, robbing Jayson Werth of a home run with a leaping catch against the wall in center.

Colon (3-5) allowed both runs as New York snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the first time in 10 tries against Washington.

Gio Gonzalez (3-4) took the loss.

Jenrry Mejia pitched the ninth for his first save.

Ian Desmond had two hits, including a two-run homer, for Washington.

Rookie Eric Campbell drove in two runs and had his first two-hit game, and Daniel Murphy added two hits as well for New York.

Colon, who turns 41 next week, came in 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA (17 runs in 17 1-3 innings) in three starts this month - all on the road.

On Saturday, he allowed five hits, while striking out five and walking one in his longest outing of the season. He retired the last 11 hitters he faced.

Gonzalez had his second straight poor start.

Coming off a 9-1 loss at Oakland in which he allowed seven earned runs in five plus innings, he lasted just three innings Saturday.

Gonzalez allowed five earned runs and seven hits. He struck out four and walked two.

The Mets scored one more run in the first inning Saturday than they had in the previous 27 combined.

With one out, Murphy lined a single to center and David Wright followed with an infield hit between first base and the mound.

After Chris Young walked, Campbell sent a single to center to score Murphy and Wright.

Lagares, in the starting lineup for the first time since Tuesday, blooped a single to right, scoring Young with the third run.

It marked the 10th time this season that Washington had allowed three or more runs in the first inning.

In the third, Campbell singled with one out and Lagares drove a 3-2 fastball into center.

Desmond's homer in the fourth pulled the Nationals within 5-2.

Werth's leaping at catch at the wall with two outs in the ninth preserved Friday night's 5-2 Washington win.

He was the victim of great defense on Saturday, however, when he appeared to pull the Nationals within 5-3 with a drive to center to open the sixth, but Lagares raced to the wall, leaped and reached back to grab the drive.

NOTES: Craig Stammen pitched four innings of scoreless relief for the Nationals. ... Murphy has hit in nine straight (13 for 36) and in 34 of the 40 games he's played. ... Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche tested his strained right quad Friday and said he hopes to be ready to return when he's eligible to come off the disabled list May 25. ... New York's Zack Wheeler (1-3, 4.53) opposes Jordan Zimmermann (2-1, 3.59) in Sunday's series finale.