Nationals end six-game skid

Glavine bests Moyer in battle of veteran left-handers

? Ronnie Belliard hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning off John Smoltz, and the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 2-0 Thursday night to stop a six-game losing streak.

Ryan Zimmerman also hit an RBI single for the Nationals (2-8), who had never before led a game this year at the time a pitch was thrown. Their only previous win was April 4, when Dmitri Young hit a game-ending single that capped a three-run ninth inning in a 7-6 victory over visiting Florida.

Washington has been outscored 61-23 this season and hasn’t scored during the first three innings of any game.

Jason Bergmann, Jesus Colome (1-0), Jon Rauch and Chad Cordero combined on a two-hitter. Cordero struck out Scott Thorman with the bases loaded for his first save.

Smoltz (1-1) gave up four hits and four walks – two intentional – in eight innings, striking out six.

Mets 5, Phillies 3

New York – Tom Glavine (2-1) beat Jamie Moyer (1-1) in the oldest matchup of left-handed starters in major-league history, getting his 292nd win.

Glavine (2-1) allowed three runs and four hits – two of them Jimmy Rollins homers – in six innings. Jose Reyes hit a two-run, fourth-inning single that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead.

Glavine is 41 and Moyer 44, and together they total 85 years, 163 days. The previous high for a matchup of lefty starters was 83 years, 299 days, when the Tommy John of the Yankees and Jerry Reuss of the White Sox met on May 2, 1988, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Billy Wagner got three outs for his second save.