Mets beat Dodgers 7-3 for seventh straight win

NEW YORK (AP) — John Maine returned from an odd injury to pitch into the seventh inning, and the New York Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3 Wednesday to complete their best homestand in more than 20 years.

Angel Pagan had a two-run triple, helping the Mets beat the Dodgers for the third time in less than 24 hours and extend their winning streak to seven.

The Mets finished a 9-1 homestand, their best since going 9-1 from Sept. 12-22, 1988. Recovered from a 4-8 start, New York heads into a weekend series at the NL champion Philadelphia Phillies atop the NL East at 13-9.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti criticized his team's execution before the game but Los Angeles lost its fourth in a row, dropping to 8-13.

After sweeping Dodgers in a doubleheader that began 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, the Mets quickly shook off the bed head and got to John Ely, who was brought up to make his big league debut.

David Wright, who started awakening from a prolonged slump with four RBIs Tuesday, began the second with a double. Jeff Francoeur drove in a run with a groundout and, an out after Ely appeared shaken when he hit Rod Barajas on a hand with a pitch, Pagan tripled in two runs. Cora capped the inning with an RBI double.

That's all the runs Maine (1-1) needed in his best outing of the season. The right-hander left his previous start after 3 2-3 innings with pain in his non-throwing elbow. He rebounded to strike out nine — eight against the Nos. 2-6 batters.

His velocity still down a couple of miles per hour, Maine walked three and gave up a two-run homer to Russell Martin but only gave up four hits in six-plus innings. He struck out the side in the sixth, then was removed after a leadoff walk in the seventh.

Maine gave up three runs — two earned — and threw 101 pitches. With his win, Mets starters improved to 6-1 over the last 13 games.

Ely (0-1), pitching because opening day starter Vincent Padilla is on the 15-day disabled list with pain in his upper right forearm muscle, gave up five runs and six hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out four.

The Dodgers scored an unearned run in the third, when Jose Reyes' throw on Matt Kemp's grounder bounced in the dirt and scored Jamey Carroll, who singled.

Hot rookie Ike Davis and Jason Bay had RBI hits in the seventh that made it 7-3.

NOTES: The Mets won seven straight May 4-10 last year. 1B Carlos Delgado went on the DL May 11 and was lost for the season. ... The Mets also went 9-1 on a homestand in 1969. ... Andre Either struck out six times in his first 18 games, and struck out his first three times up Wednesday.