Mets 8, Rangers 4: Anthony Recker hit a three-run homer to cap a big first inning and Zack Wheeler tossed 6 1/3 solid innings as host New York held on to take two of three from Texas.

Wheeler (4-8) allowed a run and six hits while striking out four to win for the first time in seven home starts. Kirk Nieuwenhuis also homered and scored three times while both Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy recorded RBI doubles for the Mets, who improved to 18-12 in day games.

Robinson Chirinos and Alex Rios had solo homers while Leonys Martin cranked a two-run shot for the Rangers, who finished a dismal road trip at 1-6 and have lost 15 of 18 overall. Nick Tepesch (3-4) recovered well from the woeful opening frame but was still tagged with six runs in six innings as Texas fell to 2-6 on the road in interleague games.

Duda's two-out double in the first started the scoring and Juan Lagares singled him in moments later. Recker then yanked a 2-2 offering from Tepesch down the line in left for his third home run of the year and a 5-0 advantage.

Chirinos got Texas on the board in the fourth, but Nieuwenhuis slugged his first homer since April 15 in the sixth and Murphy brought in Curtis Granderson in the seventh to make it 7-1. Rios and Martin went deep in the eighth to make it interesting before Jeurys Familia ended the Rangers' threat and Ruben Tejada singled in Nieuwenhuis in the bottom half to cap the scoring.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Mets placed LHP Jon Niese on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain and recalled RHP Buddy Carlyle from Triple-A Las Vegas. ... New York has won two of three games in each of the four series between the teams. ... Texas returns home to host Houston on Monday. The Mets stay in New York to begin a four-game series with Atlanta.