By Sally Fahey
Pete Alonso set the Mets rookie record for home runs before the All-Star break, Amed Rosario had a winning infield single with two outs in the ninth and the New York Mets rallied from deficits three times to beat the Nationals 6-5.
Washington led 1-0 in the fifth, 3-1 in the seventh and 5-4 in the eighth, but the Mets (22-25) kept bouncing back and won their second straight game after general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Mickey Callaway will remain the team’s manager “for the foreseeable future.”
Alonso’s 16th homer broke the team rookie record for the first half set by Ron Swoboda in 1965. Alonso turned on a 1-2 pitch from Rainey (0-1), and the ball rose 126 feet and bounced off the Porsche Grille restaurant. The home run call on the field was upheld by a video review.
Rainey walked Adeiny Hechavarria and J.D. Davis with one out in the ninth, Kyle Barraclough relieved and Jeff McNeil grounded into a forceout that left runners at the corners. McNeil advanced on defensive indifference and, with Robinson Cano on deck, Rosario hit a two-hopper grounder to shortstop and beat Trea Turner’s throw.
“He just willed himself to run faster it looked like to me,” Callaway said “It was unbelievable.”
Rosario made it to first in 4.03 seconds according to StatCast.
“I felt like I threw it good, but he can run,” Turner said.
Rosario clapped his hands and was mobbed by teammates between second and third before getting doused by Alonso.
“The moment I hit that ball, I immediately thought I have to get there,” Rosario said through a translator.
Edwin Diaz (1-2) worked around a ninth-inning single for his first win with the Mets. Washington (19-29) lost its third straight and dropped a season-high 10 games under .500
Mets starter Zack Wheeler gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings, while Washington’s Erick Fedde allowed one run and four hits in five innings.
Juan Soto homered in the second, but McNeil tied the score with a fifth-inning single. Brian Dozier put the Nationals back ahead with a two-run homer in the seventh, but Davis’s three-run pinch homer off Wander Suero gave the Mets a 4-3 lead in the bottom half.
Turner hit a tying double in the eighth off Jeurys Familia and scored on Soto’s double against Daniel Zamora.
“We’re right there, but we’ve got to win,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “The bottom line is we have to start winning.”
Be the first to comment