Nationals 5, Mets 1: Ian Desmond and Gio Gonzalez each hit solo home runs in the fifth inning as visiting Washington downed New York.

Gonzalez (1-0) yielded one run and fanned six over six innings to improve to 6-1 with a 2.45 ERA in nine career starts against New York. Jayson Werth went 4-for-5 while Denard Span and Anthony Rendon added two hits apiece as the Nationals claimed their seventh consecutive victory against their National League East rival.

Bartolo Colon (0-1) allowed three runs on nine hits over six frames in his debut for the Mets, who lost their first two games of the season for the first time since opening with five straight setbacks in 2005. Juan Lagares had two extra-base hits and scored New York’s only run, combining with Ruben Tejada for all three of the Mets’ hits.

Gonzalez yielded his only run in the first when Lagares led off with a triple and scored two batters later on David Wright’s sacrifice fly, but Washington evened it in the fourth as Werth and Adam LaRoche hit back-to-back doubles. Desmond gave the Nationals the lead on the first pitch of the fifth with a blast to left-center and Gonzalez followed suit later in the frame with his third career homer.

Span and Rendon greeted Gonzalez Germen with doubles to open the seventh and Washington tacked on an insurance run two pitches later when Germen’s wild pitch allowed Span to score. Span continued to terrorize the Mets in the ninth, ripping a triple down the right-field line before crossing the plate moments later on Rendon’s groundout.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Gonzalez, Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Craig Stammen combined to strike out 13 Mets on Wednesday after five Washington pitchers combined to fan 18 Mets in Monday’s season opener. … New York LF Chris Young, who was scratched from the Opening Day lineup with a right quadriceps strain he suffered late in the exhibition season, left the game after the first inning after experiencing tightness in the quad. … Gonzalez hit a solo home run in his first start of the season for the second straight year.