Nationals-Mets Preview

About the only thing the New York Mets have to look forward to in the final two weeks of the season is playing six games against the Washington Nationals.

With each looking to snap its respective losing streak, the bottom two teams in the NL East open a weekend series Friday night at Citi Field.

The end to a miserable season likely can't come soon enough for New York (63-84), which returns home looking to avoid a season-high sixth straight loss after falling 7-3 at Atlanta on Thursday to conclude a 1-6 road trip.

"It's very difficult," Thursday's losing pitcher Nelson Figueroa said. "You don't want to go out this way. It's one thing to be out of it and another thing to continue to lose."

The Mets, who have dropped nine of 10, are 8-4 this season against the NL-worst Nationals (50-96), who are coming off a three-game sweep at Philadelphia culminating with a 4-2 loss Thursday.

The Nationals and Mets conclude their season series at Washington from Sept. 28-30.

The injury-riddled Mets have 20 fewer wins than at the same point in 2008, when they were 83-64 and in first place in the East. New York is 21 games under .500 for the first time since Oct. 2, 2004, when it was 70-91.

"Has it been that long?" said first baseman Daniel Murphy, who had three hits including a homer Thursday. "I didn't know. ... Losing is frustrating, whenever it happens."

Murphy is batting .313 with a homer and nine RBIs against Washington this season.

Looking to bounce back from a rough outing, Mike Pelfrey (10-10, 5.09 ERA) takes the ball for the Mets in this contest.

The right-hander, who has won at least 10 games for a second straight season, allowed eight runs and 10 hits in six innings Saturday but didn't receive a decision after New York rallied late for a 10-9 win at Philadelphia. That contest remains the last win for the Mets.

Pelfrey is 3-4 with a 3.79 ERA in 10 starts versus Washington in his career, including 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA this season.

Washington's Josh Willingham is 6 for 14 with two homers against Pelfrey, but is 4 for 30 with nine strikeouts in his last nine contests overall.

"I'm just not getting hits," Willingham told the Nationals' official Web site. "Sometimes there's more that goes into it than that. I hope to get hits and help the team."

Elijah Dukes had two hits with an RBI on Thursday for Washington, which is 2-4 on a nine-game road trip.

J.D. Martin (4-4, 4.29) looks for a second straight victory when he takes the mound for the Nationals.

The rookie right-hander allowed two runs and two hits in five innings of a 5-3 win at Florida on Friday to improve to 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA in his last seven starts.

Martin's only previous appearance against New York was his major-league debut July 20. He gave up five runs in four innings of a 6-2 loss.

The Nationals made a minor trade Thursday, acquiring 37-year-old catcher Jamie Burke from Seattle for cash.