NEW YORK -- Left-hander Gio Gonzalez continued his mastery of the New York Mets at Citi Field on Saturday night, when he earned the win with seven shutout innings in the Washington Nationals' 1-0 victory.

Center fielder Michael Taylor's RBI infield single in the second inning provided the game's only run as the Nationals (11-14) won for the fourth time in five games.

The Mets (16-9) have lost six of nine.

Gonzalez (2-2) allowed six hits and two walks while striking out nine as he improved to 6-1 with a 1.66 ERA in nine career starts at Citi Field.

The Mets mounted their biggest threat in the first, when center fielder Juan Lagares singled with one out and Lucas Duda doubled. Third-base coach Tim Teufel waved Lagares home, but the Nationals executed a perfect relay -- from left fielder Jayson Werth to shortstop Ian Desmond to catcher Wilson Ramos -- to cut down Lagares.

Right-hander Aaron Barrett (2/3 inning) and left-hander Matt Grace (1/3 inning) combined on a perfect eighth inning before right-hander Drew Storen earned his sixth save with a perfect ninth.

Mets left-hander Jonathon Niese (2-2) took the hard-luck loss after wriggling out of numerous jams during a season-best seven-inning stint. Niese allowed one run on nine hits and one walk while striking out five. He had just two 1-2-3 innings but stranded nine runners, including five in scoring position.

Lagares had two hits for the Mets.

Washington pieced together its run in the second, when shortstop Ian Desmond snapped an 0-for-26 skid with a one-out single. Second baseman Danny Espinosa followed with a single just over leaping third baseman Daniel Murphy. The runners moved up a base on a bunt by Gonzalez and Desmond scored on Taylor's single off Murphy's glove.

NOTES: Nationals INF Anthony Rendon (side, left knee) was scratched from a rehab appearance with Double-A Harrisburg after he couldn't get loose. The team is hopeful Rendon, who resumed his rehab Friday after missing five days due to a sore side, can play Sunday. ... Nationals CF Denard Span (abdomen) sat out a second straight game but is expected to return Sunday. ... Struggling Mets SS Wilmer Flores, who has committed errors in four of his last five games and went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts Friday, received a planned day off. Manager Terry Collins said Friday that Flores would sit Saturday for INF Ruben Tejada. ... According to Elias Sports Bureau, Mets RHP Matt Harvey is the second pitcher to open 5-0 after missing the previous season. LHP Jim Abbott went 5-0 for the Chicago White Sox in 1998 after sitting out 1997.