NEW YORK (Interstat) — Tyler Soderstrom launched two home runs and drove in five, powering the Athletics to an 11-6 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday evening at Citi Field.

A crowd of 38,244 watched as the Athletics’ offense erupted for 15 hits, including three homers, to even their season record at 7-7. The Mets fell to 7-8.

The most important sequence of the game arrived in the top of the eighth inning. Leading 7-6 after the Mets had chipped away at an early seven-run deficit, the Athletics put the game out of reach. With two outs and two men on, Soderstrom stepped in against reliever Luke Weaver. The left fielder, who had homered in the third, connected again, crushing a three-run shot to right-center field. The blast capped a four-run inning, turning a tense one-run lead into a comfortable five-run cushion and effectively sealing the outcome.

Soderstrom’s performance, a 3-for-5 afternoon, broke him out of a recent mini-slump and was the cornerstone of Oakland’s attack. His first homer, also a two-run shot, came during a decisive five-run third inning that chased Mets starter Kodai Senga.

Senga took the loss, falling to 0-2 after surrendering seven runs on eight hits over just 2 2/3 innings. The Athletics tagged him for two runs in the second on a bases-loaded walk and a fielder’s choice, then broke the game open in the third. Following Soderstrom’s first homer, Carlos Cortes later in the inning added a three-run blast to right-center, making it 7-1.

Athletics starter Jacob Lopez earned the win, improving to 1-1. He worked five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, including a two-run homer to Bo Bichette in the fifth inning that began the Mets’ rally.

New York steadily climbed back into the game against the bullpen. Francisco Alvarez led off the sixth with a solo home run, a call that was overturned from an out to a homer after a replay review. A sacrifice fly later in the inning brought the Mets within 7-5. Jorge Polanco led off the seventh with a solo homer, cutting the deficit to a single run and setting the stage for the dramatic top of the eighth.

The Mets’ bullpen provided some stability after Senga’s early exit, with Huascar Brazobán, Luis García and Brooks Raley combining for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief before the Athletics erupted against Weaver in the eighth. For Oakland, relievers Mark Leiter Jr., Luis Medina and Joel Kuhnel closed the door, with Leiter striking out the side in a perfect eighth inning.

Bichette led the Mets’ 10-hit effort, going 2-for-3 with a homer, a walk and three RBIs. Alvarez added two hits, including his reviewed homer.

The game, which lasted 3 hours and 9 minutes, defied several pregame projections. The total of 17 runs sailed over the over/under line of 8, and the Athletics’ win came as an upset according to betting markets, which had installed the Mets as 1.5-run favorites. Interstat’s ELO system had given New York a 59.4% probability to win, and its game simulator had projected a 6-4 Athletics victory.

The victory gives a chance to win the series when the teams conclude their three-game set on Sunday. The Athletics will then return home to open a series with the Texas Rangers, while the Mets embark on a road trip starting with three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.