New York @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( May 20, 2010 ) NY Mets 10, Washington 7

When they met at Nationals Park just seven weeks ago, the New York Mets and Washington Nationals were battling each other to stay out of last place in the NL East.

How things have changed – for the Mets, anyway.

The Mets are 24-12 since leaving Washington with a two-game split May 20, and they begin a four-game series at Nationals Park tonight 1 1/2 games behind division leader Atlanta.

The Nationals are headed in the other direction. They're 13-24 since the Mets last left town, mired in last place a full 12 games back of the Braves. They've lost six of seven and 12 of 15, but the Nationals have reason to hope a homecoming will help turn things around – they're 20-16 at home.

Washington's offense has been especially weak recently. The Nationals have averaged three runs in their last 18 games – they're 4-14 during that stretch – and are hitting .226 as a team over that span.

Perhaps a date with the slumping Nationals will provide the remedy to Mets left-hander Johan Santana's recent struggles. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has just one win in his last six starts and has allowed four or more runs in each of his last four outings, including Saturday's 6-0 loss to Minnesota, in which his former team dinged him for five runs on eight hits over six innings.

Santana (5-5, 3.55 ERA) has faced Washington once this year, allowing five runs on five hits over five innings in a 5-2 loss at Citi Field. He is 6-2 with a 3.23 ERA in eight career starts against the Nationals.

Slumping outfielder Adam Dunn is 4-for-8 with two homers against Santana, and Ryan Zimmerman (5-for-16, HR, 4 RBIs), Josh Willingham (5-for-13, 2 HR, 7 RBIs) and Cristian Guzman (9-for-19) also have had success against the lefty.

The Mets hope their offense supports Santana this time, having been shut out in each of his last two starts. Third baseman David Wright has been the key to that offense lately. Wright has multiple hits in four straight games and seven of his last nine, hitting .514 (18-for-35) with two homers and 10 RBIs during that stretch.

Another key cog might be out of the lineup for a while, though. Leadoff man Jose Reyes was scratched from the lineup Wednesday in Puerto Rico after experiencing stiffness in his lower back during batting practice. Reyes has been red-hot the past three weeks, hitting .372 with five homers, 11 RBIs and 21 runs scored in 20 games since June 8.

Washington's scheduled starter, Livan Hernandez, has faced the Mets more than any other team and is 12-13 with a 4.38 ERA in 34 starts against them, including two solid starts this year. He threw seven scoreless innings to beat them April 11 and allowed two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings to take a no-decision in the Nationals' 5-3 win on May 19.

Hernandez (6-4, 3.10 ERA) has posted quality starts in 11 of his 15 outings this year, but he has been hit hard in two of his last three starts, with a strong outing in between. Over his last three starts, he's 1-1 with a 6.41 ERA. The 35-year-old right-hander is 4-1 with a 1.81 ERA in eight home starts this year.

Wright (12-for-36, 4 HR, 10 RBIs) and Jeff Francoeur (7-for-16, 1 HR, 3 RBIs) have the Mets' best track records against Hernandez.