(My Sportsbook) - It's deja-vu all over again for the New York Mets, who will try to avoid another late-season collapse when they open a four-game series against the Washington Nationals tonight on the road.

New York blew a seven-game lead atop the National League East standings a year ago and just dropped two of three games versus the Atlanta Braves to watch its current division advantage dwindle down to just a game over the surging Philadelphia Phillies. In Sunday's 7-4 loss, Greg Norton's three-run homer highlighted a five-run ninth inning for the Braves.

Starter Oliver Perez allowed two runs on four hits and struck out eight batters over seven innings before handing the ball to New York's leaky bullpen. Luis Ayala was tagged for three runs and failed to retire a batter in the ninth to absorb the loss. Pedro Feliciano gave up two runs in just one- third of an inning.

David Wright went 4-for-5 with two home runs and knocked in three for the Mets, who will kick off a seven-game road trip in Washington and Atlanta this evening. Carlos Delgado collected three hits in defeat.

The Mets will hand pitching duties over to Pedro Martinez for Monday's game at Nationals Park. Martinez was 2-0 in five starts before losing his previous outing on September 7 versus the rival Phillies. He was reached for six runs and seven hits in four innings of a 6-2 loss at Shea Stadium.

Martinez, who is 1-3 in seven home starts this season, fell to 5-4 with a 5.44 earned run average in 17 overall starts this season. The right-hander is 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 15 career games (seven starts) against the Washington/Montreal franchise. Martinez played for the Expos from 1994-1997.

Washington has dropped five in a row and was just swept in three games by the Florida Marlins. In Sunday's 8-7 setback in the series finale at Dolphin Stadium, Ryan Langerhans had a three-run homer and Lastings Milledge finished with three hits, including a double, two RBI and two runs scored in the loss.

Starter Collin Balester lasted 6 2/3 frames, giving up only one run on four hits. He fanned five and walked three batters and didn't allow a hit through 5 2/3 innings. Steven Shell suffered the loss after being touched for a pair of runs in one-third of an inning.

John Lannan gets the nod for the Nationals today and is 8-13 with a 4.09 earned run average. He is 0-1 in his last two starts and did not factor in the outcome of a 10-8 loss at the Mets on September 9, allowing five runs and eight hits in just three innings.

Lannan, a left-hander, is 0-2 with a 6.53 ERA in four career starts against New York.

The Mets are 10-4 against Washington this season and 4-1 at Nationals Park. New York has won the last five matchups in the series.