WASHINGTON — Dillon Gee probably wouldn’t have been your first, second or third choice to lead the Mets in wins when the season began, but stuff happens.
The honor is Gee’s alone to lose, after he handled the Nationals for 7 ²/₃ innings last night, becoming the first Mets pitcher this season to reach double digits in wins. With Gee in control, the Mets squeezed out a 3-2 victory at Nationals Park to begin a nine-game road trip.
Gee (10-9) allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts to move ahead of Matt Harvey for the team lead in victories. Harvey, who has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and could be facing Tommy John surgery, almost certainly won’t pitch again this season, and Gee leads Jon Niese and Zack Wheeler by four victories apiece for the staff lead.
Niese, Johan Santana, Jeremy Hefner and Jenrry Mejia are among the Mets starting pitchers that have been on the disabled list this year.
But it hasn’t merely been by default Gee has jumped ahead of the pack in wins: Last night marked the seventh time in his last nine starts Gee has allowed two earned runs or fewer.
Gee was in visible discomfort after delivering a 1-1 pitch to Ian Desmond in the seventh. But after a visit from manager Terry Collins and trainer Ray Ramirez, the right-hander remained in the game and got the next two outs. Gee then allowed a solo homer to Steve Lombardozzi in the eighth before LaTroy Hawkins pitched a perfect ninth. Scott Rice got a huge out in the eighth, retiring Bryce Harper with the tying run at second base.
The Mets scored a needed insurance run in the top of the eighth, when Andrew Brown’s infield single brought home Daniel Murphy.
Ike Davis hit a two-run homer in the fourth against Jordan Zimmermann to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. The blast was Davis’ ninth of the season and fourth since his recall from Triple-A Las Vegas on July 5.
Murphy singled leading off the inning, before Davis went to the opposite field and reached the visitors bullpen in left.
Wilson Ramos homered leading off the third to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Anthony Rendon followed with a single, but Gee regrouped to get the next three outs and didn’t allow another hit until Ryan Zimmerman singled with two outs in the sixth.
mpuma@nypost.com