New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard top Washington Nationals 2-0

NEW YORK -- Right-hander Noah Syndergaard struck out 10 over seven shutout innings Tuesday night as the New York Mets snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Washington Nationals 2-0 at Citi Field.

Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto hit solo homers for the Mets (22-16), who won the first game of the season between the two teams expected to battle for the National League East title. New York pulled within a half-game of the division-leading Nationals (23-16).

Syndergaard (4-2) allowed five hits and walked none in producing his seventh double-digit strikeout game in 32 career starts. He wriggled out of his lone jam in the second, when he allowed a one-out double to Ryan Zimmerman and a single to Anthony Rendon before getting Wilson Ramos to hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

Addison Reed threw a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Jeurys Familia earned his 13th save with a perfect ninth inning.

Granderson homered on the first pitch of the game by Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer, who tied a major league record by striking out 20 batters in his last start on Wednesday and was pitching at Citi Field for the first time since throwing a no-hitter in the penultimate game of the season on Oct. 3.

Granderson, who made the last out of Scherzer's no-hitter, finished 2-for-2 with two walks. Conforto hit a two-out home run in the third for the Mets, who got just three runners beyond first base against Scherzer and a pair of relievers.

Scherzer (4-3) allowed the two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out 10 over 6 1/3 innings. It was the 38th double-digit strikeout game for Scherzer.

Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Mets and won the NL Championship Series MVP for New York last October, went 1-for-3 as his average "slipped" from .400 to .398.

Murphy doffed his cap to the crowd after a brief montage of his Mets highlights were played just before first pitch. He also received a warm standing ovation prior to his first at-bat in the second inning.

NOTES: The Mets scratched 3B David Wright (back) about 2 1/2 hours prior to game time. He was replaced by Matt Reynolds, who was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day. Reynolds batted ninth -- behind RHP Noah Syndergaard -- in his major-league debut. To make room for Reynolds, LHP Sean Gilmartin was optioned to Las Vegas. ... Mets 1B Lucas Duda (back) also sat out. ... Mets GM Sandy Alderson, who was diagnosed with cancer last fall, said he underwent a pre-planned surgery last week. Alderson said the surgery was "fantastically successful" and that he remains on a pace for full recovery. ... Nationals LF Jayson Werth batted second for the first time this season. 3B Anthony Rendon, the usual no. 2 hitter, made his second start in the sixth spot. ... First-year Nationals manager Dusty Baker managed at Citi Field for the first time since May 22, 2013, when he was with the Cincinnati Reds.