After an error Friday night, the Nationals have now made 15 in as many games, leading the National League once again. The fielding error Scott Olsen made Friday night led to a run, but it probably wasn't the most costly defensive mistake the Nationals made.

That would be any of the three unsuccessful diving attempts from Elijah Dukes and Austin Kearns to get low line drives that all wound up bouncing away from them, leading to two Mets runs.

"This is a game like some of the ones earlier where we gave a good team a handful of extra outs, and you can't afford to do that," Kearns said.

METS 4, NATIONALS 3: After Mets starter Johan Santana struck out eight in the game's first four innings, Washington had a chance to take the lead on the New York ace in the sixth inning, following Nick Johnson's leadoff homer by putting runners on first and second with none out. But Santana struck out Elijah Dukes and Austin Kearns to end the inning, and the Mets' insurance run off Kip Wells made Jesus Flores' two-run homer in the ninth inconsequential.