Tom Glavine was inconsistent in a postseason tune-up and the New York Mets lost to Washington 7–3 yesterday in their final home game of the regular season.

The NL East champions finished 50–31 at Shea Stadium, losing five of their last six. They return home next week for Game 1 of the playoffs.

The Mets were encouraged by the return of center fielder Carlos Beltran, who missed the previous six games with a strained quadriceps. He walked three times and grounded out.

Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run double for the Nationals and Beltran Perez pitched into the seventh inning in his second major league start.

Brian Schneider tied a career high with four hits and Jose Vidro went 3-for-3. Washington won three of four for the franchise’s first series victory in a fourgame set at Shea since the Montreal Expos did it September 18–21, 2003.

Glavine (14–7) gave up eight hits and four runs — three earned — in six innings.

It was his first loss since August 16 and the most hits he has allowed since he surrendered 10 in four innings at Atlanta on July 30.

Glavine was 8–2 with a 2.77 ERA in his previous 14 starts at home. He’s likely to get another start before the postseason begins.

Perez (2–0) walked six and retired the side in order only once but managed to limit New York to two runs and four hits in 6 1-3 innings. He got his first major league win last Tuesday night, allowing one hit in six shutout innings against Atlanta.

Cliff Floyd’s RBI groundout in the third cut Washington’s lead to 3–2 but Perez struck out Shawn Green with a runner on second for the final out. David Wright grounded into an inning-ending double play with two runners on in the fifth.

Vidro scored on catcher Paul Lo Duca’s throwing error in the sixth and Bernie Castro added a two-run single in Washington’s three-run eighth.