NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't look much like a team fighting for one of the few precious playoff spots.

With a rare opportunity to pick up Brad Penny, the way he has been there for his teammates all season, the Dodgers offense looked sluggish and surprisingly uninterested.

The Dodgers went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners in a 5-2 loss to the New York Mets on Friday night at Shea Stadium.

The setback increased the Dodgers' deficit in the wild-card race to 3 games.

"We just didn't get that big hit that we wanted with runners on base," outfielder Matt Kemp said after a 2 for-5 night. "We had plenty of chances to put some runs on the board, but we just didn't."

Mets pitcher Oliver Perez — and the Dodgers — set the tone in the first inning. Perez was wild and sandwiched first-inning walks around Juan Pierre's infield hit to load the bases with one out. He got out of the inning by getting Andre Ethier to watch a third strike and Russell Martin on a fly ball to right.

Perez ended up walking five batters, but was able to change the speed of his pitches enough to keep the Dodgers guessing. He struck out five and held the Dodgers to three hits in seven innings.

"That game was summed up in the first inning," manager Grady Little said. "We let the guy off the hook in the first inning. We had the guy on the ropes and we let him get off with no runs. That got him going."

The Dodgers went into Friday's game a ray of hope that was created by the addition of free agent David Wells to their starting rotation. Wells signed a contract with the Dodgers, at the expense of Brett Tomko, who was designated for assignment, but the pregame buzz generated by the arrival of Wells didn't carry to the field.

Penny didn't have his usual command and had to battle harder to keep the Mets from scoring. He wasn't as successful as he would have liked.

After escaping their jam in the first inning, the Mets showed the Dodgers how it's done.

Jose Reyes led off with a four-pitch walk, moved into scoring position by stealing second, and scored on a double by Ruben Gotay.

The Mets did it again in the third inning after Reyes' leadoff double. He scored on a one-out hit by David Wright.

"I didn't have the command I usually have but you can't go out there every time with your best stuff," said Penny, who has a career record of 1-9 with a 6.54 ERA at Shea Stadium.

Wright essentially put the game out of reach with a solo home run in the fifth inning that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead. He was also key on defense, making three stellar plays to keep the Dodgers' offense frustrated.

Wright made a barehanded pickup of a ball that had been deflected by Perez in the sixth inning and threw out Ethier at first base. He later made a diving stop of a ground ball hit in the hole by James Loney.

Wright also snared a line drive hit by Shea Hillenbrand with two outs and runners at second and third in the eighth.

"He had a great game out there," Little said of Wright's performance.

"I think this kid has had some great games already and he'll have a lot more."