LOS ANGELES — The Mets’ biggest offseason lineup addition might have been Starling Marte.
A non-factor for the team last season as he dealt with physical issues, the veteran outfielder has returned strong and emerged as a central figure in an unrelenting lineup over the last two weeks.
Saturday he delivered a mammoth sixth-inning homer that sent the Mets to a sixth straight victory, 6-4 over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
The Mets won a fifth straight series, this one over a team favored to win the World Series following a $1 billion winter shopping spree.
Marte walked to the plate in a 2-2 game in the sixth and smashed reliever Ryan Brasier’s second pitch, a slider, over the centerfield fence for a three-run homer.
The blast was Marte’s fourth this season, second on the team to Pete Alonso’s six.
In the eighth Marte (who delivered an RBI single before his homer) reached on an error and stole second before scoring an insurance run on Francisco Lindor’s RBI single.
The Mets were threatened throughout, but held on as Drew Smith, Jorge Lopez, Edwin Diaz and Reed Garrett navigated the final 3 2/3 innings.
Diaz was summoned in the eighth and walked Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman to load the bases before escaping by striking out Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy.
Garrett then struck out the side in the ninth to secure the save.
Jose Butto scuffled early, elevating his pitch count, but kept the Mets in the game. The right-hander pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits and five walks with six strikeouts.
