WASHINGTON – It would have been so tidy to say that Esteban Loaiza out-pitched Pedro Martinez on the night an emotional Jose Vidro returned to the lineup. But, no, the Washington Nationals like to take drama to the extreme. A three-run lead in the ninth was whittled down, with the young All-Star closer hanging on in his first appearance since blowing a big save on the road.

The Washington Nationals beat the Mets 3-2 last night, and the emotion runneth over in the locker room once again after the team’s 12th straight one-run victory.

“Another one-run game, man,” said Vidro, shaking his head with a big smile. “What excitement.”

Vidro was the most spirited of all. The three-time All-Star was activated from the injured list earlier in the day after missing 54 games with an ankle he injured while sliding at home plate. He rejoined a team that has become baseball’s biggest surprise, winner of 10 of 12 and the NL East leader.

Vidro slid at home plate again yesterday, scoring what turned out to be the decisive run in the seventh inning, then nearly choked up when he got to the dugout.

“I tried to get my legs up,my knee up, so that I wouldn’t get anything stuck out there,” said Vidro, describing the slide. “But it was so exciting. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Loaiza (5-5) had his best game of the season, allowing six hits and striking out eight through eight-plus innings. Loaiza has won four of his last five starts after enduring a spate of no-decisions with little run support early in the season.

Manager Frank Robinson sent Loaiza out for the ninth with a 3-0 lead, but the bullpen was summoned after Cliff Floyd singled to start the inning. Chad Cordero, whose streak of 26 converted save opportunities ended Sunday, entered and retired one batter before allowing a single to Marlon Anderson and an RBI single to David Wright.

Right fielder Jose Guillen’s throwing error on Wright’s hit moved up the runners. Anderson then scored on Jose Reyes’s groundout, leaving the tying run on third with two outs. Cordero retired pinch-hitter Brian Daubach on a popup to become the first player in the majors this season to get 30 saves.

For much of the evening, the game was a tense battle between Loaiza and Martinez (9-3),who allowed three runs, eight hits, walked one, and struck out six before leaving for a pinch-hitter after seven innings.

“I felt pretty good,” Martinez said. “They just battled. These guys are not too bad.”

The Nationals took the lead when Vinny Castilla led off the second with a double off the left field wall. He moved to third on Matt Cepicky’s groundout, then scored on Schneider’s single just to the left of second baseman Anderson.

The Nationals got their needed insurance runs in the seventh. Jamey Carroll singled, moved to second on Loaiza’s bunt, then scored on Vidro’s two-out double to the right-field corner. Guillen, who went 3-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, singled to make it 3-0.