Hector Carrasco filled a hole in Washington’s rotation with a solid spot start, and the Nationals used a three run third inning to beat Tom Glavine and the Mets 4-2 last night.

Brad Wilkerson, Marlon Byrd, and Preston Wilson each hit an RBI single to help Washington win the opener of a three-game series between teams barely on the fringe of the NL wild-card race.

Gary Majewski (4-3) pitched two scoreless innings for a victory, the Nationals’ second in seven games. But manager Frank Robinson wasn’t around to see the end of it – he was ejected in the sixth.

Substitute left fielder Marlon Anderson homered and threw out Byrd at the plate for the Mets, who lost for the 13th time in 16 games. They just returned home from a 2-8 road trip to Florida, Atlanta, and St. Louis that almost certainly dashed their playoff hopes.

With right-hander John Patterson recovering from a sinus infection, the Nationals needed to get creative in finding a starter, so they turned to Carrasco, who gave up Cal Ripken Jr.’s 3,000th hit in April 2000. On the last day of that season, Carrasco made his only previous major league start, for Boston at Tampa Bay. But he had a 2.04 ERA in 59 relief appearances this year for the Nationals, so they figured he was as good a choice as any.

“He’s starting? Wow!” surprised teammate Esteban Loaiza said before the game.

Carrasco did just fine. He allowed two runs and three hits in four innings, striking out six and lasting 74 pitches.

Jon Rauch, Joey Eischen, and Majewski followed with shutout relief before Chad Cordero got three outs for his 45th save in 51 tries. Cordero had blown two of his previous three chances.

New York cost itself a chance to rally with some bad bunting and inexplicable base running in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Jose Offerman drew a leadoff walk, but Jose Reyes failed to bunt him over and struck out on a high pitch. Kaz Matsui sent Majewski sprawling to the mound with an apparent single to center, but Offerman must have thought the ball was caught because he broke back to first.

Offerman was easily forced out at second base by center fielder Wilson, and Carlos Beltran flied out to end the inning.

Glavine (10-13) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings for another hard-luck loss. It was his 600th career start. The left-hander hit an RBI single in the second, and Anderson connected leading off the fourth.

The Nationals added a run in the ninth on an ugly, underhand throwing error by catcher Ramon Castro on Cristian Guzman’s sacrifice bunt.

Robinson was ejected in the sixth, apparently for yelling from the dugout to argue a checked swing by Diaz.