David Wright homered and drove in five runs, Jose Reyes returned to the lineup with four hits and the New York Mets beat the struggling Washington Nationals 6–0 last night behind Mike Pelfrey’s strong pitching performance.

Pelfrey (2–0) pitched a career-high seven innings in his 19th major league start, his first scoreless outing in the majors. He gave up five hits and two walks with four strikeouts, sending the Nationals to their 10th loss in 11 games.

Wright homered for the third straight game and added two doubles.

Back in the lineup after missing two games with a strained left hamstring, Reyes singled, doubled and tripled in that order during his first three at-bats.

With a chance for a rare natural cycle, he reached on an infield single in the seventh for his first four-hit game since last April 25 against Colorado. Then he struck out in the eighth. Also returning for the Mets was Duaner Sanchez, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since injuring his shoulder in a July 2006 taxi accident. He was activated from the disabled list before the game and worked a one-hit ninth after Aaron Heilman pitched the eighth.

The Mets had little trouble putting away the Nationals in a game between NL East foes who exchanged catchers and outfielders during the off-season. In November, the Mets traded outfielder Lastings Milledge to Washington for right fielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider. In December, the Nationals signed Paul Lo Duca, who spent the past two years catching for the Mets.

Lo Duca didn’t play because of a bruised hand. He was hit by a pitch Sunday against Atlanta and hopes to play tonight.