MLB: N.Y. Mets 8, Washington 4

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- David Wright drove in three runs Wednesday, helping carry the New York Mets to an 8-4 victory over Washington.

Paul Lo Duca hit a pair of sacrifice flies, Moises Alou knocked in a run and one scored on Robert Fick's seventh-inning throwing error as the NL East-leading Mets salvaged the finale of the three-game series. Alou collected three hits, while three New York players had two hits.

The Mets scored three times in the eighth to build an 8-3 lead, and held off a late Washington comeback bid.

Winner Mike Pelfrey (3-7) yielded three earned runs on nine hits in five innings.

Four Washington players had one RBI. Felipe Lopez had three hits, while Fick and Ryan Zimmerman had two hits each for the Nationals, who had split their previous 10 games.

Losing pitcher Matt Chico (5-9) surrendered five earned runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.