Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - David Wright smacked a pair of two-run home runs to give the New York Mets an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series at Shea Stadium.

The Mets have rattled off three consecutive wins amidst rampant rumors of a managerial change. Wright's performance along with multi-hit games from four other regulars, including three from Luis Castillo, will likely calm the rocky waters for the time being.

"It's a lot more fun when you win. Winning equals fun in my book," Wright said. "Those off-the-field distractions are behind us. It's great to be answering baseball questions...rather than all the other things that have been going on off the field."

Claudio Vargas (2-2) earned the victory after allowing four runs on five hits through 5 2/3 frames. The Mets bullpen allowed just two hits and no walks in 3 1/3 innings of scoreless work.

Joe Torre's return to Big Apple was spoiled, as Dodgers starter Brad Penny continued his struggles against the Mets. Torre made his first trip back to New York since leaving the Yankees after last year, his 12th season as the club's manager. He watched Penny (5-6) allow six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits in just four frames.

Jeff Kent and Blake DeWitt each homered for the Dodgers, who have dropped four straight games. James Loney went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in for LA.

"You have to fight your way through things. You can't sit around and lick your wounds," Torre said. "We're pretty fortunate where we're sitting, considering how many games we've lost."

The Dodgers just missed out on the game's first run in their opening at-bat, as Mets right fielder Endy Chavez gunned down the swift Juan Pierre at the plate on a Russell Martin flyout.

Penny, who came into the game 5-12 with a 6.21 earned run average in 20 career games against the Mets, began to falter in the third. Wright's two-run blast on a 2-0 offering got the Mets started, and a catcher's interference call an inning later broke the game open.

Vargas appeared to hit into an inning-ending groundout in the fourth, but Martin was called for catcher's interference on the play. Jose Reyes followed with a single, and Castillo blasted a shot into the left-field gap. Vargas scored easily on the double, and Pierre's attempt to throw out Reyes at third got past the bag, scoring the shortstop for a 4-0 Mets lead.

Wright, who came into the game 9-for-17 in his career against Penny, followed with his second round-tripper of the game, this time to center for a six-run edge.

"He's got great stuff," Wright said of Penny. "It seems like the times I get him (are) when he falls behind."

Los Angeles cut the lead in half in the fifth behind Kent's leadoff homer and DeWitt's two-run blast later in the frame.

An RBI single by Loney made it a 6-4 game in the sixth, but consecutive two- out, run-scoring singles by Chavez and Brian Schneider in the seventh gave the Mets their decisive four-run advantage.