Carlos Beltran had five RBIs and Luis Castillo singled home the winning run off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning, helping the Mets rally past the San Diego Padres 7–6 yesterday in a back-and-forth game between playoff contenders.

Hoffman and Billy Wagner, two of baseball’s best relievers, struggled in the ninth. Wagner (2–1) gave up a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to Kevin Kouzmanoff that put San Diego up 6–5, but Hoffman couldn’t hold the lead.

Lastings Milledge singled to start the bottom half and advanced on Mike DiFelice’s sacrifice before pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson tied it with an RBI single.

Jose Reyes blooped a single to center and Castillo grounded a clean single up the middle off Hoffman (2–4). The throw from center by ex-Met Mike Cameron was a little wide, allowing Anderson to score standing up.

Beltran hit a two-run shot off Chris Young, and the NL Eastleading Mets won the opener of a three-game series against San Diego, which began the day atop the wild-card standings.

Cameron homered off John Maine to help the Padres come back from a three-run deficit. They took a 5–4 lead in the seventh when Cameron hit a tying double off Jorge Sosa and scored on Khalil Greene’s go-ahead single.

Reyes led off the eighth with a single, stole second and scored on Beltran’s tying single off ex-Met Heath Bell.

Beltran also hit a two-run double in the third, putting New York up 4–1.