Maine Pitches Mets Past Nats

Beltran belts first HR of year in victory
By Doug Sweeney,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 16, 2008 10:07 PM CDT
Maine Pitches Mets Past Nats
New York Mets Jose Reyes hits a fifth inning solo home run off Matt Chico in the Mets 5-2 baseball victory over the Washington Nationals at Shea Stadium in New York, Wednesday, April 16, 2008.    (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Carlos Beltran hit his first homer of the season, a three-run shot in the fifth inning, to back John Maine's solid start and lead the New York Mets past the Washington Nationals 5-2. Jose Reyes also connected for the first time and Ryan Church hit his second home run to help New York hand the anemic Nationals their 11th loss in 12 games.

Maine earned his first win with support from a bullpen that spoiled his stellar effort April 10 against the Phillies. After he walked two with two outs in the seventh inning Wednesday, Joe Smith got No. 3 hitter Ryan Zimmerman on a called third strike. Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his second save, finishing the five-hitter. (More baseball stories.)

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