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Surprising Figueroa looks to lead Mets to sweep

Apr 17, 2008 - 2:02 PM Washington (4-11) at NY Mets (7-6) 7:10 pm EDT

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) - Nelson Figueroa's first start in more than three years will be hard to top.

Figueroa makes his second start of the season - in place of the injured Pedro Martinez - on Thursday as the New York Mets aim for a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals.

A 33-year-old journeyman from Brooklyn, Figueroa (1-0, 4.50 ERA) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning of a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in his first start on Friday.

The righthander allowed just two runs and two hits with six strikeouts in six innings with his family on hand. It was his first start - and win - since 2003 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With Martinez expected to be out until at least mid-May, Figueroa may not have to wait as long for another win.

Especially the way the Mets' offense has begun to heat up. Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Ryan Church each homered in a 5-2 victory on Wednesday. Church, who was acquired from Washington in the offseason, is 5-for-10 in his last three games.

The Nationals, who have been outscored 11-2 in the first two games, send John Lannan to the hill. Lannan (0-2, 6.75) was touched up for six runs and nine hits in four innings of a 10-2 loss to Atlanta on Friday.

Washington has lost 10 of 11 after opening the season with three straight wins.