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May 11, 2010 - 4:50 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Washington (17-14) at New York (17-14), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Washington Nationals have won three straight against the New York Mets. Beating New York with Scott Olsen on the mound could be more difficult.

After flirting with a no-hitter in his last outing, Olsen looks to end a six-game losing streak against the Mets when the Nationals continue a three-game set at Citi Field.

Washington (18-14) improved to 3-1 against New York (17-15) this season with a 3-2 victory Monday. The Nationals are four games over .500 for the first time since they were 77-73 in their first season in the nation's capital, which is also the last time they won four straight on the road against the Mets. They started 50-31 and finished with 81 wins that year.

Making it four straight over the Mets would probably require a better effort from Olsen (2-1, 3.54 ERA) than he's turned in against them in the past. Since his one career win versus New York on May 27, 2007, he's 0-6 with a 5.22 ERA in the last nine outings.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is 15 for 39 with five doubles, one triple and one homer against Olsen.

The Nationals left-hander, though, is 2-0 with a 0.44 ERA in his last three outings. He entered Thursday's game against Atlanta with 13 scoreless innings and did not allow a hit before David Ross' single with one out in the eighth.

Olsen struck out eight for the second time in three starts, and was charged with two runs over 7 1-3 innings.

"I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't thinking about it," Olsen said of the prospect of a no-hitter. "I was thinking about it early. I thought about it in the fourth and fifth inning. But it's one of those things that's hard - real hard - to do."

The last two Nationals starters to face New York have not allowed a run. Rookie Luis Atilano allowed five hits in 5 1-3 innings Monday to improve to 3-0.

Miguel Batista got his first save after yielding a run in the ninth inning as Washington rested closer Matt Capps, who leads the majors with 13. Tyler Clippard, who had earned wins in pitching in three of the Nationals' previous four games, was also unavailable.

"We wanted to get everything we could out of him (Atilano) because we knew we didn't have Clippard and Capps at the other end," manager Jim Riggleman said. "He gave us a chance and we got it."

Adam Kennedy and Ryan Zimmerman hit consecutive homers in the third inning and Ivan Rodriguez went 4 for 4.

"What happened the last couple of years in Washington is already over," said Rodriguez, in his first year with the Nationals. "This is 2010. We have a team. We're focused now. We play the game now."

New York has lost two straight after a nine-game home winning streak.

Jonathon Niese (1-1, 3.60) will get the start for the Mets. Niese gave up four runs and a career-high 12 hits over six innings Wednesday in a 5-4, 10-inning loss at Cincinnati.

The left-hander, who is 0-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven starts at Citi Field, has never faced Washington.