Written by TSN The Sports Network

(Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals have made Citi Field their personal stomping grounds this season and will try for a seventh straight win there in the continuation of a three-game series against the New York Mets.

The NL East-leading Nationals made it six wins in a row in Flushing with Monday's 5-1 verdict, as Gio Gonzalez became the first pitcher to 19 wins by limiting the Mets to a run and three hits in six innings. He did walk five batters, but struck out six.

"I'm focused on trying to get more wins," Gonzalez said. "We're just having fun and playing our baseball."

Gonzalez was backed by home runs from Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond and Kurt Suzuki. The Nationals, who have a 6 1/2-game lead on the Atlanta Braves in the division, improved to 10-3 in their last 13 games and opened a six-game road trip on a high note.

Major League Baseball's only team to have a winning record every month this year, Washington is 37-6 when scoring three or more runs since the All-Star break and 7-3 in September.

Jordan Zimmermann looks to string back-to-back winning starts together when he takes the mound tonight for the 29th time this season. Zimmermann ended a four-start winless streak (0-2) his last time out in a 9-2 pounding of the Chicago Cubs in which he struck out nine and gave up two runs in seven innings. He improved to 10-8 and lowered his earned run average to 2.99.

"I felt I had a pretty good fastball, and we stuck with that most of the night," Zimmermann said after his most recent outing. "The slider wasn't very good, so we went with the curveball. I was able to locate the fastball and go up and in when I wanted to."

Zimmermann is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three meetings with the Mets this season and 3-2 in 10 career starts against them.

New York has dropped the first four games of its six-game homestand and six of seven overall, including last night's poor offensive showing.

Excerpt from:
Nats aim to extend road success over Mets