WASHINGTON -- Matt Harvey pitched six shutout innings in his return to the majors and David Wright and Travis d'Arnaud each drove in two runs as the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Thursday.

The Mets took two of three games in the season-opening series and allowed just six runs and 17 hits by the defending National League East champions.

Wright, d'Arnaud and left fielder Michael Cuddyer each had two hits for New York. D'Arnaud had five hits in the series.

Washington starter Stephen Strasburg (0-1) was saddled with the loss after he allowed six runs (only three earned) and nine hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

Harvey (1-0), who missed all of last year after Tommy John surgery in 2013, yielded four hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. He threw 91 pitches -- 63 for strikes.

The Mets scored four runs in the top of the third inning off Strasburg to shatter any thoughts of a pitching duel between the young right-handers.

Cuddyer made it 1-0 with a bases-loaded single. Second baseman Daniel Murphy followed with a high chopper right of the mound for an infield single to score Wright for a 2-0 lead.

After center fielder Juan Lagares made the second out on a popup, d'Arnaud had a two-run bloop single to center to drive in two runs for a 4-0 lead. Three of the runs in the inning were unearned after Wright reached on an error with one out by shortstop Ian Desmond (two hits), his third miscue in three games.

Wright had a two-run single with the bases loaded in the sixth to chase Strasburg and give the Mets a 6-0 lead. Washington center fielder Michael A. Taylor (two hits) had a two-run double in the seventh against reliever Buddy Carlyle to make it 6-2.

The Nationals made it 6-3 in the ninth on an RBI single by Reed Johnson, who entered the game as a reserve left fielder. Mets reliever Jeurys Familia then got the last out of the game as Taylor flied out.

Harvey was making his first regular-season appearance since facing the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 24, 2013. He had Tommy John surgery on October 22, 2013. Earlier that season, he was the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game.

It was the second time that Harvey and Strasburg pitched against each other. The first time was April 19, 2013, in New York. Harvey and the Mets won 7-1.

NOTES: Mets RHP Matt Harvey, the starter on Thursday, was one of just two starters in the last 100 years to allow one run or fewer in 19 of his first 36 games. The other one was Dwight Gooden, who pitched for the Mets from 1984 to 1994. Harvey had the third-best WHIP at (0.985) of any pitcher since 1921 in his first 36 starts. He trailed Vida Blue (0.943) and Jose Fernandez (0.972). ... Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (10-10, 3.57 in 2014) will make his first start of the year when the Nationals begin a series on Friday in Philadelphia. The starter for the Phillies will be RHP Jerome Williams, who was 4-2 with an ERA of 2.83 in nine starts for Philadelphia last year. Williams also pitched for the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers last year and was 6-7 overall. ... Mets LHP Jonathan Niese (9-11, 3.40 in 30 starts last year) will start Friday in Atlanta against the Braves. Atlanta will start LHP Eric Stults, who was 8-17 with an ERA of 4.30 last year in 32 starts for the San Diego Padres. ... Washington OF Clint Robinson, 30, made his first start Thursday for the Nationals, in left field. He has played eight minor league seasons with 141 homers but entered Thursday with just 14 big league at-bats with the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Nationals.