Martinez quietly stops Nationals

WASHINGTON -- Pedro Martínez vs. Jose Guillen. Bases loaded. One-run game. One who had declared ''enough is enough" after the other had hit him twice in one game last week. Both teams playing under a season-long warning to cut out the beanballs.

This was great baseball theater.

Martínez threw a ball. Catcher Paul Lo Duca called time, went to the mound, and gave Martínez a hard ''let's go" pat on the behind as they parted. Three pitches later, Guillen hit a 91-mile-per-hour pitch to the shortstop. Double play. Martínez had worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to end the Washington Nationals' last real threat, and the New York Mets went on to a 3-1 victory for their fifth straight win.

Martínez (2-0) struck out Jose Vidro, who had earlier homered, with a high fastball before facing Guillen. The sixth inning was the only real trouble for the Mets ace on a night in which he gave up three hits and walked one over seven innings. He struck out only three, but the Nationals hit 11 fly ball outs to the spacious confines of RFK Stadium.

Most importantly, he avoided anything close to a repeat of the troubles that marred last week's series between the teams in New York, when seven batters were hit -- six by Mets pitchers -- and a near-fight ensued after Guillen was plunked for the fifth time by Martínez in his career. Guillen said later: ''We used to be friends, but that relationship is over."

It was only fitting, therefore, that Martínez would face Guillen in the game's most crucial at-bat.

''It could happen in any game, but you know what? I don't hold any grudges," Martínez said.

Carlos Beltran went 2 for 3 with a sacrifice fly for the Mets, whose 6-1 start is their best since they went 8-1 to begin the 1985 season. David Wright went 2 for 4 to raise his average to .444.