Wright and the Mets go for their fourth straight win as they continue their four-game series against Kershaw and the Dodgers on Friday night at Shea Stadium.

Wright entered this season a career .461 hitter against the Dodgers, but went 1-for-13 with six strikeouts against them as the Mets lost twice in a three-game set in Los Angeles from May 5-7.

The two-time All-Star got back on track on Thursday, welcoming the Dodgers (26-27) with two home runs as New York (26-26) pulled back to .500 with an 8-4 win. It was the third straight victory for the Mets, who had dropped seven of their previous eight games.

"A three-game winning streak, we'll take that. Back to .500, that's what we want to push from," said Mets manager Willie Randolph, whose job appeared to be in jeopardy during the club's recent slump. "We've got to sustain it. We've been up and down."

The Dodgers' fourth straight loss dampened Torre's first professional trip to New York since taking over the Dodgers following his resignation from the New York Yankees, whom he managed to four World Series titles in 12 seasons. Many fans in the crowd at Shea stood and cheered when Torre made a pitching change in the seventh inning, and Torre waved and doffed his cap while walking back to the dugout.

"It was unexpected and appreciated," said Torre, whose first managing job came with the Mets in 1977. "That made me feel good."

The Dodgers, however, remain winless in the first four games of a seven-game road trip. They'll look to snap the skid with Kershaw (0-0, 3.00) on the mound.

In his major league debut on Sunday, the 20-year-old left-hander held St. Louis to two runs and five hits while striking out seven in six innings. He didn't get a decision in the Dodgers' 4-3, 10-inning victory, but he was the center of attention after the game.

"His stuff is electric," Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said. "He's got a great arm, good fastball, good curveball and changeup, which he's continuing to get the feel for and the right time to use it. He's just a great kid, willing to learn, and he's got a good head on his shoulders. He's the whole package."

Apparently that package includes calmness under pressure.

"It might be hard to believe, but I really wasn't that nervous. I just knew that I could do it," said Kershaw, the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft. "These hitters are just like other hitters, except a little better and a little more experienced. So you've got to be smart."

The Mets will counter with John Maine (5-4, 3.41), who has lost back-to-back starts for the first time in nearly a year. The right-hander had won his four previous outings before allowing eight runs in 10 innings of consecutive losses at Atlanta and Colorado.

He struck out a season-high eight on Sunday, but gave up four runs in six innings of a 4-1 loss to the Rockies.

Maine entered this season 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers, but he held them to one run and four hits in 8 1-3 innings of a 12-1 victory in Los Angeles on May 7.