Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Carlos Delgado hit two homers for the second straight game, as the New York Mets outlasted the Washington Nationals, 10-8, in the first of two games at Shea Stadium.

"It's great to be able to contribute and great to be able to help the team," Delgado said. "I mean, this is an exciting time of the year, we have a great club. It's a great race, it's awesome."

Delgado, who homered twice in the nightcap of a doubleheader against Philadelphia Sunday, finished the game 3-for-3 while driving in three runs and scoring three runs. Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church each had a homer to go along with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI.

"When you look back at (Delgado's) hits, they have definitely been of the clutch variety," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "They haven't been home runs that don't mean anything. They seem to be very critical at a critical time. He just seems to be locked in. It's very impressive."

Oliver Perez allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three for a no-decision. Joe Smith (4-3) picked up the win after throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Luis Ayala got his sixth save of the year for the Mets, who have won two straight.

With the win, the Mets move 2 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies in the race for the NL East crown. The Phillies lost, 10-8, to Florida Tuesday night.

Anderson Hernandez went 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored while Christian Guzman had two hits -- including a homer -- two runs scored and two RBI. Ryan Zimmerman added three hits in the loss, the Nationals' third in five games.

John Lannan struggled, giving up five runs on eight hits and a walk, with two strikeouts. Charlie Manning (1-3) got the loss after giving up back-to-back homers in the sixth.

Brandon Knight started the inning for the Mets in the fifth and gave up singles to Willie Harris and Pete Orr to put runners on the corners with one out. Hernandez hit an RBI groundout to plate Harris for an 8-7 lead.

Beltran gave the lead right back to the Mets in the sixth, though, greeting Manning with a two-run blast, and Delgado made it back-to-back on his second homer of the game to give New York a 10-8 advantage.

The Mets took the lead in the second. With one out, Delgado muscled out a single and Fernando Tatis doubled him over to third. Damion Easley knocked both runners in on a double down the left field line.

Guzman tied the game with one out in the third, continuing his hot hitting by blasting a two-run homer down the left field line.

Church gave the lead right back to the Mets in the home half, sending a Lannan pitch over the right field wall for a 3-2 advantage. David Wright followed with a single and tried to score on Beltran's double, but was thrown out easily with a solid relay from right field.

However, Delgado came up next and promptly crushed yet another home run -- his 34th of the year -- for a 5-2 advantage.

The Nationals came right back in the fourth. Aaron Boone walked and Wil Nieves singled to put runners at first and second. Alberto Gonzalez lined a single, scoring Boone, and both runners advanced as Tatis misplayed the ball.

Hernandez followed by tying the game on a two-RBI single up the middle. Guzman kept the rally going with another single, ending Perez's stint on the mound. Nelson Figueroa came in and gave up two RBI singles to give the Nats a 7-5 lead.

Marco Estrada came on in relief in the home fourth. Brian Schneider singled and two batters later Jose Reyes singled, and an error gave both runners an extra base. An RBI groundout and a Wright RBI single later, the game was tied once again, 7-7.

The Mets lead the season series 9-4 and have won the last four meetings...Since August 26, Guzman is batting .472 (26-for-55)...Beltran extended his hitting streak to eight games...Delgado tied Dave Kingman's Mets record for most multi-homer games in a season with seven, set in 1976.