Perez Pitches Mets Past Dodgers 5-4

Oliver Perez won despite a wild return from the disabled list and the depleted New York Mets finally mustered some offense Wednesday night, overcoming Manny Ramirez's homer in a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Wright snapped an 0-for-17 slump with his first RBI this month. Daniel Murphy doubled twice and made an incredible play at first base, and the Mets ended a four-game skid with their third victory in 12 games.

Ramirez hit a leadoff shot to right in the ninth inning off Francisco Rodriguez, making it 5-4. The All-Star closer walked his next batter, but got Andre Ethier to ground into a game-ending double play with two on for his 22nd save in 25 chances.

Ramirez's 535th homer broke a tie with Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx for 16th place on the career list, one behind Mickey Mantle.

Booed consistently by the crowd of 40,027, Ramirez went 1 for 5 in his fifth game back following a 50-game drug suspension. He played all nine innings for the first time since his return — the enigmatic slugger was ejected for throwing equipment following a fifth-inning strikeout Tuesday night.

Ramirez, who stranded two runners with a sixth-inning groundout against Bobby Parnell, is 4 for 16 (.250) with two home runs and five RBIs since returning to the lineup.

Perez (2-2) was wild all night, but didn't wilt. He walked a season-high seven in five innings, then left for a pinch hitter with a 5-2 lead. He allowed four hits and struck out two, throwing 55 of 108 pitches for strikes.

Re-signed by the Mets to a $36 million, three-year contract in the offseason, Perez had been sidelined since May 3 because of tendinitis in his right knee. He was 1-3 with a 3.12 ERA in four minor league rehab starts, striking out 18 and walking 11 in 17 1-3 innings.

Perez's return was the first piece of good news in weeks for the injury-ravaged Mets, still missing Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, John Maine and J.J. Putz.

New York finally caught a break in the seventh, when Mark Loretta's grounder caromed off first base and up in the air. A stumbling Murphy scooped up the ball and made a blind, backhand flip to Parnell covering first base for the out.

Loretta put both hands on his helmet and manager Joe Torre came out to argue, to no avail.

Perez walked his first batter on four pitches — and none were close. That brought a quick pep talk from second baseman Luis Castillo, and Loretta's two-out RBI single put Los Angeles ahead.

The left-hander got in and out of trouble again in the third. With two outs, he walked three straight batters on 14 pitches, then retired Ethier on a soft liner to third.

Rafael Furcal's RBI single in the fourth cut it to 4-2, but Orlando Hudson grounded into an inning-ending double play that had Perez pounding his glove in excitement as he bounced off the mound.

Jeremy Reed doubled in the second off Hiroki Kuroda (3-5) and scored on Castillo's two-out infield single for New York's first run in 24 innings. After losing 4-1 in Philadelphia on Saturday, the Mets were shut out in consecutive games by the Phillies and Dodgers.

New York broke loose for three runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead. Murphy hit his second double and scored when Wright singled for his first RBI in seven games since June 30.

An error by third baseman Casey Blake allowed another run to score, and Reed added an RBI single.

Brian Schneider's RBI single in the fifth off Cory Wade, just recalled from the minors, made it 5-2.

Ramirez reacted late in left field on Murphy's first-inning double over his head. It was the first extra-base hit in 30 innings for the Mets.

Kuroda yielded five runs — four earned — and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings.

NOTES: It was the 15th time Ethier has grounded into a double play this season. ... New York improved to 1-4 against the Dodgers this year.