If New York’s up-and-down season wasn’t enough to convince the average fan that there would be no coasting like last year, Thursday night’s game in Los Angeles might have been the clincher.

The Mets pounced on Dodgers starter Derek Lowe for six runs in the top of the first only to watch Los Angeles roar back with six of their own over the next three innings before New York was finally able to pull away for a 13-9 victory at Dodger Stadium.

Carlos Delgado and Ramon Castro hit back-to-back homers in the sixth and Carlos Beltran also went deep, clubbing his 17th of the season leading off the eighth. Every Mets position player had a hit and only Shawn Green failed to drive in a run.

New York started the game with back-to-back singles by Jose Reyes and ex-Dodger Marlon Anderson, making his return not only to Los Angeles, but to the Mets. Luis Gonzalez made a nice catch on Beltran’s slicing liner in left for the first out, but David Wright doubled home both runners with a shot off the top of the wall in right.

The Mets, however, were just getting started.

Delgado walked to once again put two runners on and Castro (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) singled up the middle to plate Wright. Green (2-for-5, 2B) followed with a base hit to right that scooted under Matt Kemp’s glove for a two-run, three-base error.

Ruben Gotay, back in the lineup after not starting any of the games in San Diego, singled to left-center for New York’s sixth and final run of the inning.

Needing just two victories to reach the historic 300-win plateau, Tom Glavine was unable to take advantage of his club’s offensive outburst.

The left-hander gave back two runs himself in the bottom of the first on a two-run single by Luis Gonzalez. However, Green’s heads-up throw from right field nailed Jeff Kent trying to take third for the second out and Glavine escaped further trouble, getting Nomar Garciaparra to ground out to third.

Los Angeles would not go away though, as Kemp (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the second, his fifth, to cut the lead to 6-4.

Lowe (8-9), who entered with a 3.05 ERA, was not able to stop the Mets from adding to their lead in the third.

One-out Singles by Green and Gotay (3-for-4, RBI) was followed by a walk to Glavine, which loaded the bases for Reyes (2-for-5, 2 RBI), whose slow groundout to first plated another run. Anderson (2-for-5, 2 RBI) then singled through the middle to increase New York’s lead to 9-4.

Lowe would retire Beltran on a groundout to end the inning, and his evening. The right-hander surrendered a season-high nine runs – eight earned – on 10 hits while walking three without a strikeout.

The Dodgers would knock Glavine out of the game in the third, getting a solo home run by Jeff Kent, his 13th, leading off the inning before Olmedo Saenz delivered a sac fly with the bases loaded off reliever Aaron Sele.

The two clubs traded runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Reyes and Wilson Betemit, but the Mets gave themselves some breathing room in the sixth when Delgado and Castro hit consecutive homers off Rudy Seanez, pushing the lead to 12-7.

Rafael Furcal, who had three hits, doubled in a run in the bottom of the seventh off Aaron Heilman, but Beltran (2-for-5, HR) answered in the eighth with his first home run since July 8 at Houston.

James Loney’s RBI single off Guillermo Mota in the bottom of the inning capped the scoring for both teams.

Sele (3-0) picked up the victory, surrendering a run on two hits and two walks while striking out a batter in three innings of work.

The 13 runs were a season-high for New York and the first time they reached double-figures since a 10-2 victory against Oakland on June 24.

After evening up their record on the road trip at 2-2, the Mets (53-42) will go for their second straight victory on Friday night in Los Angeles. Oliver Perez (8-6, 3.13) will make his second start after a successful return from the disabled five days ago. The left-hander limited the Reds to two runs on six hits while striking out six over six innings last Sunday to win for the first time since June 15. Perez is 3-4 with a 4.38 ERA in eight career starts against Los Angeles, including two last year with the Pirates when he was pounded for 13 runs and 15 hits in just 8 1/3 innings.

The Dodgers (54-42), who dropped their first game against New York in four contests, will try and bounce back on Friday after falling into a tie with the Padres atop the National League West. Brett Tomko (2-7, 5.88) will make his second consecutive start after pitching exclusively out of the bullpen since May 21. The 34-year-old right-hander surrendered three runs – one earned – over five innings against the Giants last Sunday to win for the first time since May 9, a span of 20 appearances. Tomko has struggled in his career against the Mets, sporting a 4-7 mark along with a 5.26 ERA in 17 outings (13 starts). He made one starts against them in 2006 and took the loss, allowing four runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings in a 4-1 defeat.

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