Jason Vargas had his best start as a member of the New York Mets on Friday night, when he earned the win by tossing six scoreless innings as the hosts beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 at Citi Field.

The Mets have won 11 of 17. The Nationals, the two-time defending National League East champions, have lost eight of 12 to fall to 64-65. Washington is closer to fourth-place New York (6 1/2 games ahead) than the first-place Atlanta Braves (8 1/2 games behind).

Vargas, who signed a two-year deal worth $16 million in February, allowed just three hits and walked none while striking out a season-high eight. The outing lowered his ERA this season from 7.67 to 6.96 and dropped his overall ERA with the Mets -- for whom he made two starts in 2007 -- from 8.35 to 7.68.

Vargas (4-8) struck out the side in both the fourth -- when he whiffed Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Juan Soto, the Nationals' 3-4-5 hitters -- and fifth, when he worked around a leadoff single by Matt Wieters.

The scoreless outing Friday was Vargas' first of six innings or more since last Sept. 21, when he allowed two hits over 6 1/3 innings for the Kansas City Royals.

Seth Lugo struck out three in two perfect innings before Robert Gsellman earned his eighth save with a one-hit ninth.

The Mets built the only run they'd need in the first, when Amed Rosario delivered a leadoff single against Gio Gonzalez (7-11), stole second, took third on a groundout by Jeff McNeil and scored on Wilmer Flores' single.

Mets outfielder Jay Bruce, who was activated from the disabled list prior to the game after missing more than two months with a right hip injury, hit a two-run homer in the eighth. It was the first homer at Citi Field this season for Bruce, who is in the first year of a three-year, $39 million deal.

Kevin Plawecki had two hits for the Mets.

Gonzalez allowed the one run on seven hits and no walks while striking out two over seven innings. It was the 12th time in 17 career starts at Citi Field in which Gonzalez has allowed one run or fewer.

--Field Level Media