Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Cristian Guzman drove in two runs as Washington upended New York, 5-3, in the third installment of a four-game set at Shea Stadium.

Ryan Zimmerman homered while Jesus Flores and Felipe Lopez each knocked in one for the Nationals, who have taken two of the first three games in the series.

Nats starter Tim Redding (5-3) notched the win by holding New York to two hits and one run over six strong innings. Jon Rauch recorded the game's final four outs to earn his eighth save.

Brian Schneider homered and drove in two runs for the Mets, who have alternated wins and losses in their last six contests. Carlos Beltran added an RBI in defeat.

Claudio Vargas (0-1), making his Mets debut after his contract was purchased from Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday, was the hard-luck loser. The 29-year-old righty gave up three hits and two runs over 6 1/3 innings, fanning six while issuing four walks.

Washington forged ahead with four runs in the seventh inning.

Elijah Dukes walked with one out, and Aaron Heilman took over for Vargas. A Wily Mo Pena groundout moved Dukes to second, and he scored when Flores bounced a single through the left side.

"A kid that was just playing A-ball a couple of years ago, just a tremendous at-bat against Heilman...We can't say enough about that kid, we like him a lot," said Nats manager Manny Acta of Flores.

Pinch-hitter Willie Harris walked, then Lopez cracked a base hit to right which plated Flores.

Guzman followed with a two-run single right up the middle to make it a 5-1 Washington lead, but Joe Smith was able to retire Zimmerman to limit further damage.

"I made a couple of good pitches and I got some ground balls, a couple of them found some holes. Then I made a few mistakes," said Heilman.

Schneider's RBI groundout against Saul Rivera brought the Mets within 5-2 in the home half, and Beltran's run-scoring single in the eighth off Rauch pulled the home club within two runs.

Rauch responded by setting the Mets down in order in the ninth.

The contest evolved as a pitching duel from the start. Vargas worked out of trouble in the third when the Nats put two men on with two outs, and the Mets had two men on with one out in the fourth, but Beltran lined into an inning- ending double play.

Schneider finally broke the scoreless tie with a two-out solo homer to right in the fifth, but Zimmerman equalized with a long homer off the edge of the stands in left with two down in the sixth.