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Dodgers 3, Mets 2

NEW YORK -- Andre Ethier's RBI single with one out in the ninth inning lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-2 win over the New York Mets Thursday afternoon.

The Dodgers won for the third time in four games following a six-game losing streak, while the Mets lost a home series for the first time this year, as 24,851 watched the matinee at Citi Field.

The Mets were aiming to win their first four home series for the first time since 1976.

Nick Punto opened the ninth with a double off losing pitcher Scott Rice (1-1) and went to third on a groundout by Adrian Gonzalez. Matt Kemp was intentionally walked ahead of Ethier's single to the right-centerfield gap.

Juan Uribe followed with an RBI infield single to give the Dodgers an insurance run that proved necessary when the Mets' Ike Davis homered leading off the ninth.

League, less than 24 hours removed from a blown save in Wednesday's 7-3, 10-inning loss to the Mets, League set down the next three batters to secure his sixth save. Kenley Jansen earned his first win of the season with a scoreless eighth inning, but had to work out of a two-on, no-out jam.

Prior to the eventful ninth inning, the Mets and Dodgers were locked in a pitcher's duel that resulted in no-decisions for starters Hyun-Jin Ryu and Jeremy Hefner, who each allowed one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings.

For Ryu, it was his first seven-inning outing since signing a six-year deal with the Dodgers after seven seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization. He also struck out eight.

Kemp was the lone Dodgers player with two hits, including an RBI single in the first. Uribe walked three times, one shy of his career high, before his RBI single.

For the Mets, David Wright had a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning while Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy each reached base twice via a single and a walk.

The Dodgers scored a run in the first when leadoff batter Carl Crawford was hit by a pitch, went to second on Gonzalez's groundout and scored on Kemp's single.

Ryu allowed just one hit and only one runner as far as second base through the first five innings before the Mets patiently eked out the tying run in the sixth. Tejada drew a leadoff walk, went to second on Murphy's single, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Wright's sacrifice fly.

Notes. The Mets opened the 1976 season by winning home series over the Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres. They didn't lose a home series that season until the Philadelphia Phillies swept a two-game series May 19-20. ... Mets left-handed pitcher Jonathon Niese threw his usual bullpen session Thursday, two days after he had to leave his start in the third inning after being hit in the right leg by a comebacker off the bat of Mark Ellis. He remains in line to start Sunday against the Phillies. ... Dillon Gee takes the mound for the Mets when they open a three-game series against the Phillies at Citi Field Friday night. The Dodgers head home, where Josh Beckett will start for Los Angeles against the Milwaukee Brewers. ... Dodgers right-handed pitcher Shawn Tolleson was scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. Tolleson, who walked two batters without recording an out against the Diamondbacks in his lone appearance of the season April 12, is expected to miss three to five months. ... Chad Billingsley underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The Dodgers' right-hander, who was 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts this year, will be out at least 12 months.