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He Mets hit a walk-off home run in the ninth inning. Francisco Alvarez to survive blowing a 3-0 lead to beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 on Monday night at Citi Field.
It was the Mets catcher’s first career walk-off hit and his first homer since July 26, when he took over for Baltimore. Seranthony Dominguez deep into the gap in left center 421 feet to end the game.
New York improved to 65-60 to keep pace in the NL wild-card race.
Here are the conclusions…
– David Peterson The walk stung and he lost the leadoff hitter, Austin Slater, after taking a 0-2 lead. But the lefty outpaced the dangerous Baltimore duo with Adley Rutschman taking advantage of a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play and Gunnar Henderson swinging through a 3-2 pitch.
Pitching with the lead, Peterson needed just nine pitches in the second and, despite allowing a single in the third, kept the O’s off the board while adding two more strikeouts in the process.
A pair of two-out singles set up Eloy Jimenez with an RBI chance, but a grounder to third was smothered by a diving Marcos winds on third to get Peterson out of trouble.
The fifth inning was a struggle for Peterson and a one-out double to the left field corner Ramon Urias‘ bat and a failed pickoff attempt put the runner on third. And that allowed Baltimore to score on a Jackson’s Vacation rolled to first.
Three groundouts (giving him nine on the night) allowed the left-hander to pitch six innings on just 87 pitches. Peterson had allowed just four fly balls, two of which were fly balls.
Ryan Mountcastle Peterson got his second hit of the night with a double to lead off the seventh inning. After getting a groundout and a strikeout, Peterson nearly got out of the jam, but he balked at Mountcastle from third and on the next pitch he hit a sinker to Urias and he launched a 107.3 mph, 432-foot home run to left-center field that tied the game.
The left-hander’s longest start of the season ended on a sour note, his final line: 7.0 innings, six hits, three runs (two earned), one walk and eight strikeouts on 101 pitches (68 strikes).
– In the first inning, Vientos, batting second, took a 3-2 pitch and drove it the other way off the Orioles starter. Trevor Rogers for a single and that is established JD Martinez Rogers hit the first pitch he saw into the bullpen for a two-run homer to the opposite field. Rogers missed his spot as the 92 mph sinker trickled toward the inner half of the plate and the designated hitter hit it 393 feet, 100.1 mph off the bat for his first homer in 50 plate appearances.
– Pete Alonso He started the fourth by driving an 0-2 changeup into the gap in left-center field for a double and scored on a two-out single by Tyrone Taylor to make it 3-0.
– Mars Starling He singled to center with two outs in the first inning and promptly stole second base. Marte had a great chance in the fifth with two on and two outs, but he went down swinging off the Baltimore reliever. Colin Selby.
After allowing three runs early, Baltimore’s pitchers began to get the better of Mets hitters, who managed just one fair ball over the next four innings while striking out nine times.
– Jose Butto He got the eighth inning and struggled with the strike zone, but got the first two outs before walking Henderson with two outs to bring in the dangerous Antonio Santanderbut a fly out on the first pitch ended the inning.
– Edwin DiazIn a situation that was not saved, he struck out Mountcastle swinging, a pinch hitter Ryan O’Hearn to ground and Colton Cowser Come to light. It was the fifth time this month.
Highlights
MVP of the match: Francisco Alvarez
Swinging at a 3-0 pitch, he delivered the hit that ended the night and working behind the plate took more than a half-dozen strikes called by the home plate umpire. Juan Tumpane on pitches that were below the zone, to the chagrin of the Baltimore dugout.
What’s next?
The Mets and Orioles continue the series Tuesday night at Citi Field with first pitch at 7:10 p.m.
Southpaw Jose Quintana (4.26 ERA and 1.295 WHIP in 129 innings) is looking to bounce back after some rough outings (nine runs on 11 hits and six walks in his last 10.2 innings).
Baltimore will hand the ball to the right-hander Dean Kremer (4.48 ERA and 1.284 WHIP in 90.1 innings).