NEW YORK – Francisco Alvarez busted out of his slump in a big way, hitting a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning to give the New York Mets a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.
J.D. Martinez launched an early two-run shot and Tyrone Taylor had an RBI single as the Mets moved within 1 1/2 games of idle Atlanta for the last National League wild card.
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“We talk about how deep our lineup is, but we need these guys to get going,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said. “As a hitter, when you get a hold of one like that, it can get you back on track. Hopefully that’s the case here.”
Ramón Urías hit a tying homer in the seventh for the Orioles, who dropped a half-game behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.
Alvarez, who began the night batting .167 since the All-Star break, drove a 3-0 fastball from Seranthony Domínguez (3-3) to left-center for his first game-ending hit in the majors.
“I got behind and he took a good pitch 2-0,” Domínguez said. “He was patient and he made good contact.”
It was the first homer in 16 games, since July 26, for the 22-year-old catcher. Before beginning his trot, he admired the 421-foot drive, then shouted, pounded his chest and gestured emphatically toward the New York dugout.
“It’s been hard for him,” Mendoza said. “He cares so much and he wants to win. At times, when we’re struggling offensively as a team, he feels like he’s responsible.”
After circling the bases, Alvarez tossed his batting helmet high in the air as he approached excited teammates waiting to swarm him at home plate to celebrate New York's eighth walk-off win of the year.
Just to make sure, he went back and stepped on home plate again.
“I don’t know if I missed it, but I came back to touch it,” Alvarez said with a grin.
Edwin Díaz (4-1) pitched a perfect inning for the win.
Mets starter David Peterson was one out from getting through the seventh without permitting an earned run. But he balked home Ryan Mountcastle, who reached on a leadoff double, and Urías slammed the next pitch 432 feet to center field, tying it at 3.
Hands on hips, a frustrated Peterson stared toward the sky as Urías rounded the bases.
“When I came up, I saw the (pitch) clock was low and that’s my fault. I should have stepped off, been able to kind of reset the clock,” Peterson said. “I threw a fastball on the balk, down in the zone, and should have switched to something else. I think he saw that. Then we threw a sinker and he was able to hit it out.”
The left-hander finished with eight strikeouts, equaling his season best, in a season-high seven innings. His errant pickoff attempt led to Baltimore's first run in the fifth when Jackson Holliday's groundout scored Urías, who doubled.
“I felt very consistent with all of my pitches,” Peterson said, “like I could throw any pitch at any time.”
Trevor Rogers, who made his major league debut for Miami at Citi Field in August 2020, allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings in his 10th career start against the Mets.
The left-hander is 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA in four outings for Baltimore since being acquired from the Marlins at the July 30 trade deadline.
“I thought he was OK,” manager Brandon Hyde said. "It’s nine righties against him, so not an easy matchup. But I thought he kept us in the game.”
Colin Selby and Keegan Akin combined to retire all 10 batters they faced in relief of Rogers, striking out eight. Alvarez's homer was New York's first hit since the fourth.
Mark Vientos singled in the first and Martinez drove the next pitch the other way to right-center, giving him 36 homers and 98 RBIs in 103 career games against Baltimore.
With two on and two outs in the fourth, Vientos saved a run by making a diving stop at third base. Pete Alonso doubled leading off the bottom half and scored from third on Taylor's two-out single to make it 3-0.
The start was delayed 10 minutes by rain.
“I think that was just a really good starter out there today," Hyde said. "I think David Peterson’s been pitching outstanding this year, and gave us a lot of trouble. ... We didn’t hit very many balls hard against him.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: OF Brandon Nimmo sat out after leaving Sunday's loss to Miami with right shoulder discomfort, but an MRI came back clean. “We got good news,” Mendoza said. “So I think this is just a day-to-day thing.” Mendoza said Nimmo was only available to pinch run. ... RHP Dedniel Núñez (right pronator strain) is scheduled to pitch one inning Tuesday for Triple-A Syracuse. He could come off the injured list after that and join the Mets on a critical road trip that begins Thursday night in San Diego.
UP NEXT
Orioles RHP Dean Kremer (5-9, 4.48 ERA) starts the middle game of the series Tuesday night against LHP Jose Quintana (6-8, 4.26).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb