NEW YORK (AP) -- Mike Pelfrey gave the Mets a healthy and effective start, Ryan Church drove in three runs and New York took advantage of sloppy play by the stumbling Washington Nationals in an 8-2 victory Saturday.
Still struggling to get the big hit, New York scored four unearned runs off Daniel Cabrera to build an early cushion for Pelfrey, who missed his previous turn in the rotation due to forearm tendinitis.
Helped by solid defense, Pelfrey (2-0) allowed two runs, six hits and three walks while striking out one. Sean Green, Bobby Parnell and Brian Stokes finished up.
The Nationals played poorly behind Cabrera (0-2), who lasted only 2 1-3 innings. They committed three key errors while dropping to 0-8 on the road and 3-13 overall, the worst record in the majors.
