Perez Returns With Solid Outing, Mets Actually Win

METS 5

DODGERS 3

Met fans can exhale for at least one night. 

With the Mets struggling to find any consistency at the plate or on the mound, the Mets finally put together an improbable effort against the Dodgers on Wednesday night to earn their 40th victory of the year. 

The lead: Oliver Perez. Perez made his first start since landing on the DL May 2 with arm trouble, and put together his most impressive start of the year. Even though he walked seven batters, Perez worked in and out of trouble all night long, getting the big outs when he needed them.

In the third inning, Perez walked the bases loaded for the Dodgers most potent hitter this year, Andre Ethier. The Mets had the bullpen warming up, just in case Ethier took the usually wild Perez deep, but Perez bared down. He was able to get Ethier to line out to David Wright at third to end the Dodgers threat and keep the game tied at one. 

In the bottom of the third, the Mets offense woke up. Dan Murphy doubled over the head of Manny Ramirez to get things going. Then David Wright drove Murphy in, with a rare for him, clutch hit to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.  After Gary Sheffield walked, Ryan Church reached on a fielder's choice to bring in Wright to make it 3-1. Finally, Jeremy Reed delivered his fifth RBI of the year with a single past a diving Orlando Hudson to drive in Sheffield to make it 4-1. 

That seemed to be enough for Perez. After allowing Matt Kemp to score on a Rafael Furcal single, he was able to get Hudson to ground out into an inning ending double play to end the threat. Perez's night concluded with some more drama. After walking Casey Blake and Russell Martin, Perez once again got Ethier out, this time with a lazy fly out to center field to escape once again. 

K-Rod struggled in the ninth. He was handed a 5-3 lead, but surrendered an opposite field home run to Manny Ramirez to cut the Mets lead to just one run. Next, K-Rod walked Blake and gave up a single to Russell Martin, but the Mets found a way out of trouble again. And once again, Andre Ethier was their target. Ethier grounded into a game ending double play. Ethier went 0-5 for the Dodgers and left 8 men on base for L.A. 

The win is the first Mets victory since last Thursday. Box Score.