New York @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 29, 2011 ) NY Mets 8, Washington 5

THE STORY: The New York Mets continue to get the jump on their opponents. The Mets scratched for four runs in the first inning Friday and spoiled Chien-Ming Wang's return to the mound with an 8-5 triumph over the Washington Nationals. Scoring in the first inning is nothing new for the Mets, who have done so in each of their last four games. A winner of five in a row and eight of its last 11, New York will look to continue its good fortune when it faces host Washington in the second of a three-game series on Saturday. Washington has lost six in a row and 10 of its last 13 games.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH R.A. Dickey (5-8, 3.74 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Jason Marquis (8-5, 3.95).

After a pair of sub-par efforts, Dickey stepped to the plate in his last outing. The 36-year-old Tennessee native permitted two runs and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings in a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. Dickey is 1-2 in his career against the Nationals. He settled for a loss and a no-decision versus Washington in a pair of outings in April. Marquis fell for the third time in four outings when he yielded three runs on five hits in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old New York native has posted a 6-7 career mark against the Mets, although he settled for a no-decision in his lone outing against them this season. He yielded three runs on seven hits in six innings in New York's eventual 7-3 win on April 10.

ABOUT THE METS (55-51): With Friday's triumph, New York moved four games above .500 for the first time this season. The Mets converted when it counted Friday, going 8-for-12 with two doubles and eight RBIs with runners in scoring position. During its five-game winning streak, Terry Collins' club is batting .435 with 10 extra-base hits and 36 RBIs with runners in scoring position. David Wright went 2-for-4 to collect his sixth straight multi-hit game. He is 17-for-35 since returning from the disabled list - and 13-for-32 with a pair of homers in his career against Marquis. Ronny Paulino went 3-for-4 with an RBI double and scored twice Friday, but is 1-for-10 against Marquis.

ABOUT THE NATIONALS (49-56): Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single. He is 14-for-31 during that stretch, although only two of his hits have gone for extra bases. Zimmerman is 2-for-10 against Dickey. Rick Ankiel drove in two runs at the plate Friday, but his alert action after Jayson Werth misplayed the ball saved the Nationals a run in the fourth inning. Ankiel picked up the ball and threw a dart to catcher Wilson Ramos to nail Jason Bay by a step. The Nationals optioned outfielder Roger Bernadina to Triple A Syracuse to make room for Wang, who struggled mightily in his first start in two years.

FINAL PITCH: The Mets seemingly are at home on the road. They have won a league-best 33 games away from Citi Field this season.