Martinez stirs up the Mets

NEW YORK -- 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, last 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 righthander 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.

Missing his pinpoint control, Martinez (1-0) hit a career-high three batters with pitches. The three-time Cy Young Award winner gave up 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 run-scoring single.

Slowed by a nagging toe injury, Martinez made his only two starts of spring training during the final week of March.

Jose Reyes drove in two runs, scored twice, and finished with three hits for New York.