NEW YORK – David Wright dropped an RBI double in front of diving right fielder Travis Buck in the ninth inning, giving the New York Mets a 1-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.

Orlando Hernandez and Oakland starter Joe Blanton matched zeros most of the way in a tight game that included an equipment-throwing tirade by New York catcher Paul Lo Duca.

Ramon Castro, who batted for Lo Duca after he was ejected in the sixth, started the decisive rally to help the NL East leaders win consecutive games for the first time since May 27 and 29 against Florida and San Francisco.

By taking the first two against the A’s, New York has finally won a series after losing six straight since winning two of three games against the Giants from May 29-31.

The Mets won for only the fifth time in 18 games overall and improved to 6-14 in June. In their six wins, they have allowed three runs total. New York is 0-14 this month when allowing two runs or more.

Making its first trip to Shea Stadium since beating the Mets in the 1973 World Series, Oakland was hurt by its failure to hit in the clutch – a season-long trend. The A’s went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position after entering with a .227 average in such situations, the worst mark in the majors.

Oakland stranded 10 runners in all, eight against El Duque. The A’s have lost five of seven.

Castro opened the ninth with a double off Santiago Casilla (2-1). Carlos Beltran was intentionally walked, and Wright hit a looper to right field. Buck, playing deep out of respect for Wright’s opposite-field power, came in and tried to make a diving catch. But he came up short and the ball bounced past him.

Buck started the game in left field and threw out a runner at the plate in the sixth. He was moved to right in the eighth when Shannon Stewart came in.

Billy Wagner (1-0) worked a scoreless ninth for the win.

AP-ES-06-23-07 2211EDT