Slumping Juan Soto cracks go-ahead double as Mets top Dodgers

Juan Soto hit a tie-breaking two-run double in the fourth inning Saturday night as the host New York Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 in the middle game of a three-game series.

David Peterson earned the victory while tossing a career-high 7 2/3 innings for the Mets, who won for just the third time in nine games. The Dodgers had their three-game winning streak halted.

The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Enrique Hernandez and a run-scoring groundout by Dalton Rushing. But the Mets, who entered Saturday batting just .223 with runners on base, mounted two-out rallies in the second and fourth innings against Los Angeles starter Tony Gonsolin (2-1).

With two outs and nobody on in the second, Gonsolin plunked Jacob Young and Tyrone Taylor singled before Young scored on Brett Baty's single. The Mets then loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth and Starling Marte legged out a game-tying RBI infield single,

Soto, who entered the game on a lengthy slump, followed with a two-run double off the right-center field wall for his first extra-base hit since May 9, when he homered against the Chicago Cubs. The right fielder, who signed a $765 million deal with the Mets in December, had hit .125 with two RBIs in his previous 11 games entering Saturday.

Baty added insurance with an RBI double in the eighth. He finished 3-for-3 with a walk as the Mets' No. 9 hitter. Soto, Pete Alonso and Luis Torrens had two hits apiece.

Peterson (3-2) gave up two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven. He pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season and the first time since he lasted 7 2/3 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies last Sept. 15.

Edwin Diaz struck out Mookie Betts, the potential tying run, to end the eighth before closing out his 11th save with a perfect ninth inning.

Andy Pages had two hits for the Dodgers.

Gonsolin allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings.

--Field Level Media