NEW YORK (Interstat) — On a crisp Friday evening at Citi Field, the Athletics authored a script that defied the projections, leaning on a masterful bullpen performance and a decisive ninth-inning rally to shut out the New York Mets 4-0 before a crowd of 36,349.

The victory, sealed in a brisk 2 hours and 33 minutes, evened the three-game series opener and pushed the Athletics to 6-7 on the young season, while the Mets fell to an even 7-7.

The game’s pivotal sequence, and its defining characteristic, was a relentless and airtight performance by Oakland’s relief corps. After starter J.T. Ginn delivered four dominant, scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four, a parade of five Athletics relievers combined to preserve a precarious 1-0 lead for five more frames. They navigated traffic, induced critical double plays, and extinguished any hint of a Mets rally, holding New York to 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranding six baserunners.

The most important part of the contest arrived in the top of the ninth inning, with the Athletics clinging to that single-run lead. Facing Mets reliever Tobias Myers, Jacob Wilson sparked the rally with a single to left field. The play escalated when Mets left fielder Carson Benge misplayed the ball, allowing Wilson to advance to second. Jeff McNeil, facing his former team, then delivered a clutch RBI single to left, plating Wilson and providing a crucial insurance run.

The Athletics were not done. After a pitching change, Max Muncy laced a double to left, and two batters later, Denzel Clarke broke the game open with a two-run single up the middle, scoring both inherited runners. The three-run outburst transformed a tense one-run affair into a comfortable 4-0 margin, rendering the Mets’ final at-bat a mere formality.

Ginn, named the top star for Oakland, set the tone with his efficient start, a welcome bounce-back after allowing earned runs in his two previous appearances out of the bullpen. The win, however, was awarded to Jack Perkins (1-0), who followed Ginn with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, working out of a minor jam in the sixth. Mark Leiter Jr., Elvis Alvarado, and Scott Barlow recorded the final eight outs, with Barlow striking out the final batter of the eighth.

The Mets’ offensive frustrations were encapsulated in the sixth inning. After back-to-back singles by Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette put runners on the corners with nobody out, the Athletics’ defense and bullpen stifled the threat. Jared Young hit into a fielder’s choice that cut down Lindor at home, and Luis Robert Jr. then grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play started by shortstop Jacob Wilson, snuffing out New York’s best scoring chance.

Oakland’s offense, which managed nine hits but also grounded into two double plays, did just enough early against Mets starter Clay Holmes (2-1). Holmes took the loss despite a solid outing, yielding one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. The lone blemish against him came in the third, when Shea Langeliers drove in Carlos Cortes with a two-out single.

The result contradicted most pregame forecasts. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 5-4 Mets victory, and its ELO system gave New York a 59.9 percent probability to win. The Mets had also been installed as pregame favorites with a -1.5 spread. The total score of four runs fell well under the over/under line of 8.5.

For the Athletics, the win marked their third in their last four games as they continue a challenging early-season road trip. They will look to secure a series victory in the middle game on Saturday. The Mets, after dropping two of three to Arizona prior to this series, will aim to rebound and level the set before embarking on a West Coast road trip beginning Monday in Los Angeles.