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Mets wrap up set with Nats at Citi Field

May 19, 2011 - 2:42 PM (Sports Network) - Young right-hander Dillon Gee can lift the New York Mets out of a tie for the National League's East Division basement today when they play the Washington Nationals in the finale of a two-game series at Citi Field.

Jon Niese pitched seven shutout frames and the Mets mustered just enough offense to down the Nationals, 3-0, in Wednesday's opener.

Niese (3-4) pounded the strike zone, throwing just 40 of his 112 pitches for balls and striking out seven with only one walk and six hits in a sterling performance.

Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth to finish New York's first shutout of the season and record its second victory in three games. Jose Reyes finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Justin Turner's two-run double in the sixth inning provided some breathing room.

Tom Gorzelanny (2-3) pitched fairly well in defeat, surrendering three runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and five walks over 5 2/3 frames. Mike Morse was the only National with more than one hit, finishing 2-for-4 as the club saw its two-game winning streak come to an end.

The Mets and Nationals are even at 20-22 through 42 games and sit six games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the division standings.

Gee, a 25-year-old Texan, broke into the big leagues and made five starts at the end of 2010, going 2-2 while posting a stingy 2.18 earned run average in 33 innings.

He's fared well through his initial 29 innings of 2011, making four starts and three relief appearances, while allowing 25 hits and 13 earned runs and posting wins in his only two decisions.

His first two starts yielded the two victories over Atlanta and Arizona on April 17 and 23 and were followed by three straight bullpen trips in which he tossed a combined 4 1/3 innings.

Gee returned to the starting role on May 7 against Los Angeles and May 13 in Houston, and has allowed a combined 12 hits and six runs over 10 1/3 innings in a pair of no-decision -- both New York wins.

New York is 4-3 in games he's pitched and has won all four starts.

For the Nationals, righty Livan Hernandez makes the 455th start of his major- league career.

The 36-year-old Cuban earned win No. 169 with a defeat of the Mets on April 28 that lifted him to 3-2 on the season, but has since dropped three straight starts to Philadelphia, Florida and the Marlins again between May 3 and 14.

In the win over New York, Hernandez allowed seven hits and two earned runs in eight innings -- his longest outing of the season -- on the way to a 4-3 triumph.

He is 13-14 with a 4.14 ERA in 38 career starts against the Mets.

The Mets have won four of their seven matchups with the Nationals this season.