Game 5: Nationals 6, Mets 2

The Nationals seem to have found their offense in New York.

Ian Desmond homered to lead off the game, Jayson Werth had four hits to pace a 13-hit attack and Ryan Zimmerman drove in his 500th career run as the Nats cruised to a 6-2 victory over the Mets to break a two-game skid and snap the Mets’ four-game season-opening winning streak.

Ross Detwiler (W, 1-0) became the first Nats starter to win a game this season, allowing just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts over five shutout innings.  After Reuben Tejada doubled and Ronny Cedeno singled to open the game for the Mets, Detwiler was unhittable, retiring ten straight batters at one point and 16 of his last 17.

Desmond, who has hit safely in four of the first five games, took the third pitch from Mets starter Dillon Gee (L, 0-1) to deep left field for his first homer of the season, and the Nationals never trailed.

Werth, who came into the game batting just .071 , raised his average to .263 with his his first multi-hit game and first two RBIs of the season. He doubled to lead off the second, singled in Zimmerman in both the sixth and seventh, and led off the ninth with his third single of the game.

Zimmerman, who was 1-for-3 with a double, had collected his 499th career RBI and first of the season in Monday night’s loss to the Mets. No. 500 came in the eighth inning with the bases loaded, on a popup to medium right field. Wilson Ramos, on third base, tested Mets right fielder Lucas Duda’s arm and made it home easily ahead of the throw to extend the Nats’ lead to 6-1. Ramos also had an RBI double for the Nats in their three-run sixth inning.

Steve Lombardozzi started at second base in place of Danny Espinosa, who took an elbow to the head while covering first base in the ninth inning Monday. Lombardozzi went 1-for-3. Espinosa came in as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and finished the game at second.

The Mets reached Nats reliever Craig Stammen in the seventh when Json Bay led off with a double and Justin Turner drove him in with a one-out single. After Stammen walked pinch hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Sean Burnett came in to get out of the jam. New York’s second run came in the eighth off Tyler Clippard, who walked Cedeno to lead off the inning, then gave up an RBI double to Tejada. But Clippard retired the next three batters to end the threat, and Brad Lidge worked a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation.

Champ of the Game: Werth, who broke out of his season opening slump and powered the offense witch clutch hits whenever they were needed.

For the Mets, it was Cedeneo, who was 3-for-4 with an RBI double.

Chump of the Game: Stammen, who could not complete two innings with a four-run lead, allowing three hits and a walk.

For the Mets,  it was Gee, who was lit up for four runs, three earned, on eight hits and a walk in 5 1-3 innings.

Unsung Hero: Detwiler. After beating out John Lannan to earn the No. 5 spot in the rotation in spring training, he started the season with five scoreless innings. Dating back to last season, the left-hander has shut out the opposition for 12 1-3 consecutive innings.

Next Game: Wednesday, at New York. Stephen Strasburg (0-0) vs. Johan Santana (0-0), 1:10 p.m. start.