Beltran drives in four as Mets 'fight' past Nats

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brandishing his bat, Jose Guillen charged right

out of the box at Pedro Martinez after getting hit by a pitch for

the second time.

Two innings later, it took a lot more cajoling to push Carlos

Beltran out of the dugout for a curtain call.

Beltran homered and drove in four runs, and Carlos Delgado also

connected to help Martinez win his first start of the season as the

New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 10-5 Thursday night in

a game interrupted by a near fight.

Guillen pointed his bat at Martinez and went halfway to the

mound after he was plunked in the fifth inning. The slugger was

corralled by plate umpire Ted Barrett and Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca

as the benches and bullpens emptied. Players ran onto the field

quickly, but no punches were thrown.

"I think enough is enough," said Guillen, nailed several times

by Martinez during his career. "We used to be friends, but that

relationship is over."

The right-hander said he didn't hit Guillen on purpose, he was

simply trying to pitch him inside.

"Those pitches just got away. That pitch wasn't really that far

in, except he leans over," Martinez said. "I think he overreacted

a little bit, especially going out there with the bat. I can

understand it if you're frustrated or mad or something. You want to

charge, you charge. But don't bring your bat out there. I wasn't

scared anyway."

As for Beltran, he hit a two-run homer in the seventh for his

first hit of the year. Booed most of the series, he was coaxed out

of the dugout to acknowledge the fans by teammate Julio Franco and

the crowd of 25,839.

"Put it this way: I'm a friend not only when you're doing well,

I'm a friend when you're not doing so well," Beltran said.

He pointed out that he appreciated the way Mets fans supported

the team even though they fell short of making the playoffs last

year.

But, he said, "I do believe they can be better."

Washington's Nick Johnson also was hit by pitches twice, surely

a painful experience on a 50-degree night.

The Nationals hit only one batter, but reliever Felix Rodriguez

was ejected when he plunked Lo Duca with first base open in the

eighth. Washington manager Frank Robinson then got tossed, too.

Missing his pinpoint control, Martinez (1-0) hit a career-high

three batters with pitches. The three-time Cy Young Award winner

allowed five runs, four earned, and four hits on 96 pitches in six

innings for his 198th career win.

He struck out six, walked five (one intentionally) and delivered

a surprising RBI single.

Slowed by a nagging toe injury, Martinez made his only two

starts of spring training during the final week of March.

Duaner Sanchez escaped a jam in the seventh to preserve a

one-run lead.

Jose Reyes drove in two runs, scored twice and finished with

three hits for New York. David Wright went 3-for-4 with a walk, two

runs and an RBI.

Martinez's fifth-inning pitch grazed Guillen on the arm. That's

when he started toward the Mets' ace, who has never been shy about

buzzing batters. Martinez stood calmly on the mound as Delgado and

other teammates rushed in front of him to provide protection.

"I know how to take care of it, don't worry," Guillen said

with a smile, then referred to the rest of the season series. "I'm

going to make sure I play in all the games he's in. ... I want him

to throw inside. Now I want him more than ever."

Franco walked Guillen to first base, and Washington pitcher

Livan Hernandez also played peacemaker with Guillen and Martinez as

the crowd chanted "Pedro! Pedro!"

It was the third time in two nights Guillen was hit by a pitch.

Martinez plunked him in the side in the third inning, and the right

fielder walked slowly to first.

"I know he was upset. He's been hit three times in the last two

days -- I don't blame him. But that wasn't my intention. That stuff

happens in the game," Martinez said.

Guillen has often been irritated by getting hit. In 2004 with

Anaheim, he complained that Angels pitchers weren't doing enough to

protect him by brushing back opposing batters. He was hit by

pitches 15 times that season, then 19 times last year -- tied for

most in the NL.

Johnson, plunked earlier in the game by Martinez, followed with

a three-run homer that tied it at 5.

Both starters threw inside all night. Wright had to jackknife

out of the way of Ramon Ortiz's pitches a handful of times. Then he

flipped his bat with satisfaction after lining an opposite-field

single in the fourth.

Sanchez hit Johnson with a pitch in the seventh.

Delgado gave the Mets a 6-5 lead when he connected in the fifth

off Ortiz (0-1), the loser in his Washington debut. It was

Delgado's second home run in two nights.

Cliff Floyd added an RBI double off lefty Joey Eischen, a

longtime nemesis. Beltran had a sacrifice fly in the eighth.Game notes
One night after hitting his first major league homer off

All-Star closer Billy Wagner, Washington rookie 3B Ryan Zimmerman

went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts -- three against Martinez. ...

Barrett left before the seventh after getting hit in the throat by

a foul ball. Crew chief Rick Reed moved from second base to home

plate after a delay of about 15 minutes. A CT scan showed swelling

of Barrett's throat, but he is expected to be OK. He was released

from the hospital and was to travel with the crew to Philadelphia,

where he was to have more tests.