New York: A pair of two-run homers by Washington provoked New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon into angry reactions that prompted his dismissal from the game, as the Nationals won 6-2 to boost their National League East lead.

The victory moved Washington eight-and-a-half games clear with only 17 to play and the Nationals are the only team that can be confident of participating in the NL play-offs.

Central leaders St Louis were held scoreless and slid to their third-straight loss to imperil its divisional title ambitions.

Elsewhere, Miami’s MVP candidate Giancarlo Stanton was hit in the face by a pitch and is expected to miss the rest of the season as the Marlins lost to Milwaukee, while in the American League Oakland’s slide continued with a loss at the Chicago White Sox.

Washington’s Adam LaRoche and Anthony Rendon both hit two-run homers off Colon and each time the Mets pitcher responded by hitting the following batter. The second occasion, when his pitch struck Jayson Werth above the left elbow, triggered his ejection.

It was the 12th straight time that a visiting Washington had won at Citi Field, and the Nationals moved ever closer to their second division title in three years.

Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto threw eight scoreless innings to beat Lance Lynn in a pitchers’ duel and lead the Reds to a 1-0 win over St. Louis.

Cueto (18-8) allowed just three hits to help the Reds win a series against the Cardinals for only the second time in the past 13 occasions.

Lynn (15-9) retired 15 straight before Brandon Phillips led off the eighth inning with the Reds’ first walk of the game. Phillips went to third base on Jay Bruce’s single and scored on Ramon Santiago’s sinking liner to short center-field that John Jay got a glove on but couldn’t hold.

Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton was hit under the left eye by a fastball and was bleeding from the face as he was driven off the field in an ambulance in a 4-2 loss to Milwaukee.

The Marlins said Stanton, the major league RBI leader and a top candidate for the NL MVP award, was being treated at a hospital for a facial cut. He also was undergoing X-rays and a CT scan after being hit by Brewers starter Mike Fiers.

Miami manager Mike Redmond said he expected Stanton would miss the rest of the season.

Reed Johnson batted for Stanton and was hit in the hand by Fiers’ next pitch, triggering a bench-clearing brawl.