The streak has been snapped.
The Mets put an end to their losing streak Wednesday night at Citi Field with a 9-1 win over the Oakland A’s in the second game of a three-game set. It wasn’t pretty at times with the Mets making a comical error and running into an out at home plate, but it counted and it served to put the dismal four-game stretch in the rearview mirror.
Pete Alonso went 4-for-4 with three RBI and his 26th homer of the season, and Francisco Lindor went 2-for-5 with an RBI and his 23rd home run. David Peterson pitched into the seventh inning in his seventh win of the season (7-1).
The Mets (62-58) used a big seventh inning to put the A’s away. Right-hander Joe Klein started the inning in place of right-hander T.J. MacFarland, who briefly pitched for the Mets last season. He went 2-0 on Mark Vientos before losing his command and throwing four straight balls. Klein’s command never recovered and he walked the bases loaded with no outs to bring up Lindor, the leadoff man.
Lindor didn’t have to do much. He took a measured approach at the plate and put a ball in play, dropping it into shallow right-center field in between two outfielders. Vientos scored and the Mets went up, 4-1.
They poured it on from there.
A wild pitch scored Ben Gamel and advanced Francisco Alvarez and Lindor. Klein got one out when Brandon Nimmo flied out to center field, but it was deep enough to score Alvarez from third. J.D. Martinez ripped one to right field and Lawrence Butler tripped trying to field it, allowing Lindor to score and Martinez to reach second on the double.
Finally, the A’s (51-70) went to the bullpen but got little reprieve from right-hander Ross Stripling. Harrison Bader beat the tag at first base and the call was upheld after Oakland manager Mark Kotsay challenged it. With two on and one out, Alonso doubled to left field to drive in both runners and give the Mets an eight-run lead.
Alonso put some distance between the Mets and A’s in the fourth when he led off with a homer run against right-hander Joey Estes to make the score 3-0. The Mets weren’t able to build on the lead in the fourth even after Gamel reached second on a two-base error. Alvarez lined a single to left-center field and third base coach Mike Sabaugh sent Gamel home. But Alvarez’s single was shallow and left fielder Daz Cameron, the son of former Mets outfielder Mike Cameron, made the throw home in plenty of time.
Lindor led off the third with a home run off Estes to make it 2-0. The Mets opened the scoring in the second. With two on and one out, Vientos hit a double off Estes to left field to score Jesse Winker.
Estes gave up three earned runs on seven hits and struck out three over 5 1/3 innings in the loss (5-5).
Peterson worked himself in and out trouble, walking a hitter in the second, third, fourth and fifth. But he was able to keep the ball on the ground and got a big double play in the second inning. A leadoff double and an error led to the A’s only run in the sixth with Lindor throwing well past the third base bag and hitting umpire Derek Thomas trying to get Miguel Andujar out at third on a fielder’s choice.
Andujar eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Cameron.
Peterson allowed only one unearned run, three hits and four walks, and struck out four in 6 1/3 innings.