SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — Freddy Fermin’s two-run home run in the seventh inning lifted the San Diego Padres to a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday night at PETCO Park, snapping a two-game skid and avenging a shutout loss from the previous night.

The Padres won for the third time in four games to improve to 33-30, while the Mets dropped to 28-36. The game lasted 2 hours, 22 minutes before an announced crowd of 40,770.

New York took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Marcus Semien walked, moved to second on a single by A.J. Ewing and scored on a ground-ball single by Brett Baty. The Mets added to their advantage in the seventh when Semien led off with a solo home run to left-center field, his seventh of the season, off Padres reliever Bradgley Rodriguez.

But San Diego answered in the bottom half of the inning against Mets reliever Austin Warren. With one out, Sung-Mun Song reached on an infield single that deflected off Warren’s glove. Fermin then crushed a 1-0 pitch over the left-field wall for his first home run of the year, putting the Padres ahead 3-2.

The blast marked the decisive moment of the game. Fermin’s homer capped a rally that began with Song’s hustle single and erased the Mets’ 2-1 advantage. It also made a winner of Rodriguez, who allowed one run on one hit in one inning of work. Rodriguez improved to 1-2 on the season.

Mason Miller pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 18th save, striking out one and retiring the side in order.

The Padres’ starter Griffin Canning turned in a strong outing, allowing one run on three hits over five innings with six strikeouts. Canning, who had lost his previous two starts, left with the score tied 1-1. The Mets meanwhile got six solid innings from Nolan McLean, who scattered three hits, allowed one earned run and struck out five. McLean exited after the sixth with the score still 1-1.

The game featured a pair of pivotal defensive plays that kept the Padres close. In the bottom of the fifth, with the score 1-1, Song singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then tried to steal home on a pitch to Jackson Merrill. But catcher Luis Torrens fired to third baseman Brett Baty, who relayed to McLean covering the plate to tag out Song for the final out of the inning.

San Diego had taken a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Song walked, advanced on a bunt and scored on a single by Fernando Tatis Jr. The Padres threatened again in the fifth but came away empty-handed because of the caught-stealing play.

The Mets had a chance to extend their lead in the eighth inning. Carson Benge singled and Bo Bichette followed with a single to put runners at first and second with no outs. But Juan Soto lined out to second baseman Song, who doubled off Benge at second base to end the inning.

New York went quietly in the ninth against Miller. Jared Young flew out, Semien popped out and, after Ewing walked, Mark Vientos struck out swinging to end the game.

The Mets outhit the Padres 6-5. Semien went 2 for 3 with a home run and an RBI. Song collected two hits and scored two runs for San Diego. Baty drove in the Mets’ first run with a two-out single in the second.

The Padres used five pitchers in the victory. Adrian Morejon struck out two in a scoreless sixth inning. Jason Adam worked the seventh, allowing two hits but no runs. Miller closed it out in the ninth.

The Mets’ loss came a day after they blanked the Padres 5-0 on a complete-game shutout. New York had won three of its previous four games overall.

San Diego’s win also snapped a five-game losing streak in one-run games, according to team officials. The Padres improved to 10-12 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

The series continues Sunday with the finale. The Mets then return home to face the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, while the Padres welcome the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York Mets 4, San Diego Padres 1. Interstat’s ELO system gave San Diego a 58.10 percent probability to win. The Mets had been installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of five runs went over the over-under line of 7.5.