Juan Soto delivered a pivotal two-run double to break a tie in the fourth inning. David Peterson turned in a season-best performance as the New York Mets earned a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night at Citi Field. The win evened the weekend series between the teams in their first meeting at Citi Field since the 2024 National League Championship Series.
The Dodgers entered the contest as modest road favorites, with most sportsbooks listing them at approximately -130 on the money line. The Mets were underdogs at around +110. The projected total run line was set at 8.5, and the Dodgers finished just under that mark in a game defined by timely hitting and quality pitching.
Soto, who had been in a prolonged slump with runners in scoring position, capitalized in a key moment with the bases loaded in the fourth. Facing Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin with the game tied at 2-2, Soto drove a 2-2 splitter off the right-center field wall, scoring two runs. Starling Marte was thrown out at home attempting to score a third on a relay throw from center fielder Tommy Edman to shortstop Mookie Betts, who connected with catcher Dalton Rushing to complete the play at the plate.
Before Saturday’s game, Soto hit just .119 with runners in scoring position, ranking near the bottom among qualified major league hitters. His go-ahead double marked his first extra-base hit in nearly two weeks and came in his third game since being moved from the No. 2 to the No. 3 spot in the Mets’ lineup.
Peterson delivered one of the most efficient outings of his career. The left-hander matched his best by pitching 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out three and inducing three key double-play grounders. He struck out Shohei Ohtani thrice and improved to 3-2 on the season.
The Dodgers initially led 2-0 behind RBI contributions from Kiké Hernández and Dalton Rushing in the second inning. Hernández drove in a run with a single, and Rushing followed with a groundout that brought home another. Los Angeles appeared poised to build on that lead but was shut down by Peterson for the remainder of his outing.
New York began its comeback with Brett Baty’s RBI single in the second. Marte added an infield single to tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth. Baty finished with three hits and drove in another run with an RBI double in the eighth off Dodgers reliever Bobby Miller, extending the lead to 5-2.
Edwin Díaz entered with two outs in the eighth and recorded four consecutive outs, including three strikeouts, to earn his 11th save in as many opportunities.
The Mets snapped a stretch in which they had lost six of their previous eight games, while the Dodgers saw their three-game winning streak end.
The series concludes Sunday night. New York will send right-hander Kodai Senga to the mound with a 4-3 record and a 1.43 ERA. The Dodgers are expected to start right-hander Landon Knack, who enters with a 2-1 record and a 6.17 ERA.
