NEW YORK (Interstat) — Juan Soto hit a two-run homer that capped a seven-run fourth inning and the New York Mets breezed to an 8-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Bo Bichette also homered and drove in two runs, and Clay Holmes combined with two relievers on a three-hitter as the banged-up Mets won for only the third time in 18 games. Holmes (3-2) allowed three hits, walked none and struck out six over six innings. Tobias Myers followed with two perfect innings, striking out two, and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth.

The game took 2 hours, 21 minutes before an announced crowd of 33,622 at Citi Field.

Washington, which fell to 13-17, managed just three hits — singles by Drew Millas, CJ Abrams and Jorbit Vivas — and struck out 11 times. Mets pitchers combined for five strikes, 55 balls and five balls in play, a statistical oddity that underscored the Nationals’ inability to put the ball in play consistently.

The Mets improved to 10-19 and snapped a three-game losing streak. The victory came after a pregame announcement that Soto, the team’s left fielder, is dealing with left forearm tightness. An MRI came back clean, but Soto has been the designated hitter in all six games since returning from a right calf strain last Wednesday.

Bichette put the Mets ahead in the bottom of the first inning, launching a 1-0 pitch from Nationals starter Zack Littell over the right-center field wall for his second home run of the season. It was the only run through three innings as Littell settled in after that.

But the Mets erupted in the fourth. The inning began quietly when Francisco Alvarez popped out to first baseman Luis García Jr. in foul territory. Then MJ Melendez singled to center, Mark Vientos walked and Brett Baty walked to load the bases.

Marcus Semien reached on a fielding error by third baseman Jorbit Vivas that allowed Melendez and Vientos to score, giving the Mets a 3-0 lead. Semien advanced to second on the play. Carson Benge followed with a two-run single to center, scoring Baty and Semien to make it 5-0.

Ronny Mauricio singled to center, moving Benge to third. Bichette then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Benge for a 6-0 lead. That brought up Soto, who crushed a 1-1 pitch to left-center field for his second home run of the season, scoring Mauricio and making it 8-0.

Littell (0-4) was lifted after the inning. He allowed five hits and four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out one. The left-hander has lost all four of his starts this season.

Washington’s best scoring chance came in the third inning. Millas led off with a single and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice groundout by Nasim Nuñez. James Wood walked to put runners on first and second with one out, but Luis García Jr. struck out on a foul tip and Brady House grounded out to end the threat.

The Nationals threatened again in the fourth when Abrams singled, but Daylen Lile flied out and Jacob Young struck out on a foul tip.

After the Mets’ big inning, the game moved quickly. Holmes retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced, allowing only a two-out single to Vivas in the fifth. Myers worked the seventh and eighth, striking out two, and Kimbrel fanned all three batters he faced in the ninth — Brady House, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile.

For the Mets, Benge had two hits and two RBIs, Bichette went 1 for 2 with a homer and two RBIs, and Soto finished 1 for 4 with a homer and two RBIs. Semien drove in a run despite going 0 for 3.

Washington used three relievers after Littell. Brad Lord pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one. Andre Granillo worked two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out one. The Nationals’ pitching staff struggled to find the strike zone, issuing seven walks.

The victory was a rare bright spot for the Mets, who had lost 15 of their previous 17 games. The Nationals, meanwhile, had won two of their previous three games, both in extra innings at Chicago.

Washington continues its road trip with the second game of the series Wednesday night at Citi Field. The Nationals then return home for a weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers before hosting the Minnesota Twins.

The Mets host the Nationals again Wednesday and Thursday before embarking on a 10-game road trip to Los Angeles, Colorado and Arizona.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Washington Nationals 4, New York Mets 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Mets with a 59.70 percent probability to win. New York had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5 runs.