NEW YORK – The Houston Astros moved over .500 for the first time this season, beating the New York Mets 10-5 on Sunday for their ninth win in 10 games as Jake Meyers hit a tiebreaking single in a five-run 11th inning.
“I never lost faith in this group,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I know that we were down, but were were not out, and I’m not surprised that we are where we are at.”
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Houston star Jose Altuve was ejected in the seventh after he threw his bat and helmet when umpires called him out on what appeared to be a foul ball.
“I understand the guy behind the plate didn’t see it because the catcher’s there,” Altuve said. “But you have another three guys — first, second and third. I felt like it was kind of obvious. That’s why I was so mad.”
Brandon Nimmo hit his 100th career homer for the Mets, a tying two-run drive in the seventh off Bryan Abreu.
With just a few thousand fans left at Citi Field after a 2-hour, 47-minute rain delay in the middle of the ninth, Chas McCormick put the Astros ahead 5-4 with an RBI single in the 10th off Adam Ottavino.
Nimmo responded with a tying double starting the bottom half against Tayler Scott (4-2), who stranded the potential winning run at third when Mark Vientos grounded out.
Matt Festa (0-1), a New York native from St. Joseph by the Sea High School in Staten Island, made his Mets debut and first big league appearance this season and gave up all five runs in bottom half. Meyers hit a run-scoring single, Joey Loperfido followed with a two-run single and Trey Cabbage added a two-run double.
Houston (42-41) opened the season 7-19 and was 12-24 before play on May 9. The Astros took two of three from the Mets and finished 17-8 in June.
“It was a goal to get to .500 before All-Star break.” Meyers said.
New York reached the halfway point at 40-41, rebounding after dropping to 24-35 in early June. The Mets have been outscored 29-9 in extra innings this season, going 3-8 in those games.
Nimmo cited the turning point as a team meeting on May 29 after the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep that left the Mets at 22-33.
“It’s been a tale of two seasons, even in this first half,” he said. “You’ve seen a team that has played really, really good baseball since that team meeting and I think given us a real good argument for going for it and trying to make the playoffs.”
Mets starter Luis Severino allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings. Houston’s Shawn Dubin, starting a bullpen game, pitched 3 1/3 hitless innings with three walks.
Jon Singleton put Houston ahead in the second with his sixth home run of the season and first since May 21. Yainer Diaz hit an RBI single in a two-run fifth that included Meyers’ run-scoring groundout, and Altuve blooped an RBI single in the sixth for a 4-0 lead.
Held hitless for five innings, the Mets cut the gap in the sixth against Seth Martinez on Vientos’ two-out, two-run double over leaping third baseman Alex Bregman.
Nimmo tied the score in the seventh with his 13th homer this season, a two-run drive off Bryan Abreu.
New York optioned right-hander Tylor Megill and left-hander Danny Young to Triple-A Syracuse, and selected the contracts of lefty Tyler Jay and Festa from its top farm team. Outfielder Duke Ellis was designated for assignment and lefty Brooks Raley (elbow inflammation) was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Closer Edwin Díaz served the fifth game of a 10-game suspension for using prohibited grip substances. New York's bullpen was thin a day after wasting a 6-1 lead in a 9-6 loss.
“We saw it yesterday. We saw it today,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We knew at some point we were going to be facing some type of adversity here.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: RHP Jake Bloss (right shoulder discomfort) threw a 20-pitch bullpen.
Mets: Díaz pitched batting practice against players from the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones. Barring rainouts, he can return July 6.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Hunter Brown (5-5, 4.37 ERA) starts Monday’s series opener at Toronto, which is going with RHP Yariel Rodriguez (0-2, 5.94 ERA).
Mets: LHP David Peterson (3-0, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound Monday night for the Mets at Washington, and the Nationals are going with LHP MacKenzie Gore (6-7, 3.60 ERA).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb