The New York Mets took advantage of their opportunities Tuesday night in an 8-0 win over the visiting Washington Nationals.

The Mets turned six hits, five walks and two home runs into eight runs en route to only their third victory in the past 18 games. The Mets left just four runners on base Tuesday.

Juan Soto hit a two-run homer to cap a seven-run fourth inning that sealed the win for New York, which has gone 3-15 in its past 18 games heading into a rematch with the Nationals on Wednesday night.

“A lot of confidence in those guys,” said Mets starter Clay Holmes, who earned the win by tossing six innings of three-hit ball on Tuesday. “To see that type of inning and know that it’s there, it’s just fun to be a part of.”

During that 3-15 span, the Mets have been outscored 87-47 and shut out four times. They had been limited to one run in four other games.

The eight runs Tuesday marked the fifth-most this season for the Mets, who were without Soto for 15 games due to a right calf strain and lost shortstop Francisco Lindor to a left calf strain last week.

Left-hander David Peterson (0-3, 5.06 ERA) is slated to move back into the Mets’ rotation Wednesday night in the middle game of a three-game series between the National League East rivals. He made his past two appearances out of the bullpen.

Right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.01 ERA) is scheduled to start for Washington.

Tuesday’s shutout loss was just the second of the season for the Nationals, whose 156 runs entering play on Wednesday stood fourth in the major leagues.

The Nationals were off Monday for the first time since April 9. Washington went 9-8 during the stretch of 17 games in as many days, but Tuesday was a disappointing return to action.

Starter Zack Littell allowed just one hit — Bo Bichette’s leadoff homer in the first — over the first three innings and appeared on the verge of getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth when he got Marcus Semien to hit a one-out grounder to third. But Jorbit Vivas misplayed the ball, which went under his glove, as MJ Melendez and Mark Vientos scored the first two runs of the inning.

“He made the pitch — he got the ground ball — we didn’t convert it,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “And then it just seemed like we weren’t really able to slow it down after that.”

Peterson, who was demoted to the bullpen after posting a 6.41 ERA in his first four starts, hasn’t pitched since last Thursday, when he gave up one run over 3 1/3 innings in the Mets’ 10-8 win over the Minnesota Twins. It was the second relief appearance this season for Peterson, who tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs on April 19.

Cavalli didn’t factor into the decision in his most recent start last Thursday, when he allowed two runs and struck out a career-high 10 over five innings as the Nationals fell to the Atlanta Braves 7-2.

Peterson is 7-1 with a 2.48 ERA in 14 career games (11 starts) against the Nationals. He defeated them for his lone big league shutout last June 11, when he gave up six hits in the Mets’ 5-0 victory.

Cavalli didn’t factor into the decision in his only appearance against the Mets, when he tossed five scoreless innings last Sept. 20 n the Nationals’ 5-3, 11-inning win.

–Field Level Media