MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — Juan Soto gave the New York Mets an early lead with a solo home run, but the Miami Marlins answered with two runs, including a go-ahead RBI single by Owen Caissie in the fourth inning, and held on for a 2-1 victory Friday night at loanDepot Park.

Eury Pérez pitched six innings of one-run ball to earn the win, and Pete Fairbanks closed the ninth for his sixth save as Miami improved to 23-29. The Mets fell to 22-29.

Soto’s 10th homer of the season, a fly ball to right-center field in the top of the first, put New York ahead 1-0. The Mets managed only two more hits the rest of the night.

Miami tied the game in the second inning. Esteury Ruiz led off with a double to center field, advanced to third on a groundout by Caissie and scored on the same play when Caissie’s grounder was misplayed by first baseman Mark Vientos but still recorded the out. Ruiz crossed the plate on the play, and Joe Mack followed with a single before the inning ended.

The Marlins took the lead for good in the fourth. Ruiz again sparked the rally, this time with a one-out triple to right field. Caissie followed with a single to center field, scoring Ruiz for a 2-1 advantage.

Sean Manaea took the loss in his first decision of the season, working 5 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits, struck out four and walked one. Pérez scattered three hits over six frames, striking out six and walking none.

New York’s best chance to tie the game came in the eighth inning. After two strikeouts to start the frame, A.J. Ewing singled to right field. He was then caught stealing second base by catcher Joe Mack and second baseman Xavier Edwards to end the threat.

The Mets also squandered a scoring opportunity in the fourth. After Soto singled, Vientos grounded into a double play, erasing the runner. New York had only two baserunners after the fourth inning.

Miami’s bullpen held firm. Andrew Nardi and Michael Petersen combined for a scoreless seventh and eighth, setting the stage for Fairbanks. He struck out two in a perfect ninth, including MJ Melendez swinging and Nick Morabito swinging, before Carson Benge drew a two-out walk. Bo Bichette then flied out to center field to end the game.

Ruiz finished with a double and a triple, scoring both of Miami’s runs. Caissie drove in both runs with a groundout and a single. Jakob Marsee, Javier Sanoja and Xavier Edwards each reached base once for the Marlins. For the Mets, Soto had two hits — the home run and a single — and Ewing had the team’s only other hit.

The game was played in 2 hours, 20 minutes before an announced crowd of 17,095.

New York had won its previous game Thursday at Washington, 2-1, but dropped to 1-3 on their current road trip. Miami had lost four straight before Friday’s victory, including a 9-3 defeat to Atlanta on Thursday.

The teams meet again Saturday at loanDepot Park in the second game of the series. New York will start left-hander David Peterson, while Miami counters with right-hander Edward Cabrera.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York Mets 5, Miami Marlins 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected New York with a 50.60 percent probability to win. The Mets had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5 runs. The total score of 3 went over the over-under line of 8.