One season has little to do with the next, but the comparisons between this year’s Mets squad and the one that romped their way to the NLCS, however unfair, have been rampant.

For one day, at least, New York was able to say with a forceful, “YES!” in response to critics who believe this year’s squad is lacking what the 2006 version had.

The Mets rallied from a 4-2 deficit with single runs in the eighth and ninth innings and Chip Ambres drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th with a two-out single as New York finished their Southern California trek with a 5-4 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

Jose Reyes snapped a 3-for-23 skid with three hits and Lastings Milledge, who put the Mets on the board with an RBI double in the sixth, stroked a leadoff single before scoring the game-winner in the 10th.

Pedro Feliciano picked up the win with a scoreless ninth and Billy Wagner worked around trouble in the bottom of the 10th to notch his 22nd save of the season.

After dropping two-of-three to San Diego, New York finished their last West Coast trip of the season by winning three-of-four in Los Angeles.

Nomar Garciaparra had two hits, including a two-run homer off Orlando Hernandez in the sixth, and Rafael Furcal also went deep to start the game.

D.J. Houlton, Los Angeles’ sixth pitcher of the afternoon, suffered his first loss, allowing a run on three hits in his one inning of work.

Tied, 4-4, in the 10th, Milledge (2-for-5, 2B, RBI) singled to left-center with one man out and moved to second on Carlos Beltran’s base hit to left. David Wright’s fielder’s choice forced Beltran at second for out no. two, but Ambres, who had been 0-for-2 since being recalled early last week, chopped a grounder past a diving Garciaparra and into left field to score Milledge for a 5-4 lead.

Wagner got things off to a rocky start in the bottom half, walking Juan Pierre to start the inning. The speedy center fielder, who finished 0-for-4 to snap his 14-game hitting streak, stole his 41st base when Shawn Green bobbled Wagner’s pick-off attempt at first.

Russell Martin went down swinging for the first out and the decision was made to walk Jeff Kent intentionally. Matt Kemp, whose three-run homer burned the Mets on Saturday, struck out, bringing Garciaparra (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) to the plate.

The free-swinging third baseman worked the count full and had the tying and winning runs in scoring position thanks to a wild pitch, but Wagner’s back-door slider nipped the outside corner, closing out New York’s seventh win in 11 games since the All-Star break.

The loss spoiled a solid start for the Dodgers Eric Stults, who took a shutout into the sixth inning before faltering.

Furcal’s leadoff homer, just his third of the season, and James Loney’s two-out double off ‘El Duque’ in the fourth supplied the 26-year-old with a two-run lead.

Stults, who was making his first start of the season following four relief appearances, defeated the Mets last September for his only career victory, limiting them to a run and two hits over six innings.

Little was different through the first five frames on Sunday as New York managed just three singles off the southpaw. However, in the sixth, a familiar igniter got them going.

Reyes (3-for-5, 2B, 3B) smacked a one-out triple to right and scored his first of two runs on Milledge’s double. After Beltran’s groundout moved the runner to third, Wright (2-for-5, RBI) blooped a single into short left off reliever Rudy Seanez to tie the game, 2-2.

New York’s 24-year-old third baseman finished the four-game series 5-for-16 (.313) with a home run and six RBI. Overall, Wright hit safely in six of the seven games on the road trip, going 9-for-27 (.333) with a pair of homers, nine RBI and seven runs scored.

Stults, who was lifted after allowing Milledge’s double, was charged with two runs on five hits while fanning five over 5 1/3 frames.

Los Angeles immediately jumped back on top as Garciaparra belted a two-run homer off Hernandez, who had walked Luis Gonzalez on four pitches previously.

It was the second longball of the series for the 10-year veteran, who had been homerless since June 30 before going deep on Friday night.

‘El Duque’ finished the sixth without further trouble and was in line for the loss, having allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks while fanning five in six innings.

New York began their second comeback by chipping away with a run in the eighth off ex-Met Roberto Hernandez. Reyes laced a double to right and moved to third when Milledge smashed a liner off Hernandez’s left wrist, though he was able to retrieve the ball and complete the play for the first out.

Beltran followed with a sac fly to right, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

Still without Takashi Saito (shoulder inflammation), Jonathan Broxton was called upon to close the door for the Dodgers for the second straight game.

Carlos Delgado got the rally going with a hard-hit, infield single off James Loney’s glove at first. Pinch-runner Anderson Hernandez then moved up to second on a wild pitch and took third when Paul Lo Duca grounded out to short.

New York then caught a break when right fielder Matt Kemp badly misjudged Green’s fly ball into shallow right, allowing it to tick off his glove which scored Hernandez to tie the game, 4-4.

Another wild pitch moved Green up to third with only one out, but Broxton rebounded to strike out Ruben Gotay and Ramon Castro to end the inning.

Feliciano (2-1) pitched a perfect ninth, striking out Furcal (2-for-5, HR) to send the game into extra frames.

With a tough road trip behind them, the Mets (55-43) return home following an off-day on Monday to start a seven-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. John Maine (10-5, 3.07) will try and get untracked after two subpar outings to start the second half. The right-hander is 0-1 and has allowed 11 runs – seven earned – on 13 hits, including three home runs, over 10 2/3 innings in losses to the Reds and Padres. Maine faced Pittsburgh twice last season and lost both times despite posting a solid 3.38 ERA.

The struggling Pirates (41-56), who are well on their way to the franchise’s 15th straight losing season, have lost eight-of-nine as they make their way to New York for three games. Ian Snell (7-7, 3.31) will try and snap a two-game losing streak and a stretch that has seen him win just once in his last five starts (1-3). The 25-year-old right-hander, a 14-game winner last season, has struggled since opening the year 6-4 with a 2.63 ERA, allowing five or more runs in three of his last five outings, including a 5-3 loss to Colorado on July 18. Snell has faced the Mets twice in his career (one start) and has no record with a 4.05 ERA.

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