NEW YORK -- Jacob deGrom tossed eight strong innings and hit his first major league homer Sunday afternoon as the New York Mets avoided being swept by the Washington Nationals with a 5-1 win at Citi Field.

The Mets (31-37) salvaged the finale of the four-game series against the Nationals (42-27), who didn't trail in any of the first three games.

DeGrom, who allowed one run in a complete-game win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday, allowed an unearned run -- which scored in the first inning -- three hits and two walks while striking out six on Sunday. He retired 16 of the final 18 batters he faced.

DeGrom (6-3) also helped his cause by producing the Mets' first run with an opposite-field homer leading off the third inning against Joe Ross (3-3).

The Mets took the lead in the fourth when Lucas Duda singled, went to second on T.J. Rivera's single and scored when Matt Wieters dropped the throw home on Travis d'Arnaud's single. Michael Conforto followed with an RBI single.

Conforto had another RBI single in the sixth for the Mets, who completed their scoring with a run-scoring single by Curtis Granderson in the seventh.

Rivera had four hits for the Mets.

The Nationals scored their run in the first, when Brian Goodwin reached on an error by Wilmer Flores, took second on a single by Bryce Harper, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on Ryan Zimmerman's sacrifice fly.

Trea Turner tied a franchise record with four stolen bases. He is the first player to achieve the feat since the Nationals moved from Montreal in 2005.

Ross allowed four runs (two earned), nine hits and one walk while striking out four in six innings.

NOTES: The Nationals placed RHP Shawn Kelley (right trapezius strain) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled RHP A.J. Cole from Triple-A Syracuse. ... Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy doubled in the ninth inning and has reached base in all 29 games he has played against his former team. ... Mets SS Asdrubal Cabrera, who is on the 10-day disabled list with a left thumb injury, fielded grounders before the game. ... Mets manager Terry Collins said the team's scheduled starter for Wednesday is still unknown. That is the turn usually taken by RHP Matt Harvey, who is on the disabled list with a right shoulder injury.