Mets ace Scherzer likely out 6 to 8 weeks

NEW YORK » Mets pitcher Max Scherzer is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a strained oblique muscle in his left side, the latest blow to a New York pitching staff already missing ace Jacob deGrom.

Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, had an MRI on Thursday, a day after he pulled himself from a start against St. Louis with a 1-1 count on Albert Pujols in the sixth inning after feeling “a zing” in his left side.

New York said the scan detected a moderate-to-high grade strain.

The 37-year-old right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA in eight starts after signing a $130 million, three-year contract with the Mets. An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer has struck out 59 and walked 11 in 49.2 innings.

“He’s been pitching with a blister issue, the thing with the baseball — the seams are different,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said before the game. “That’s one of the reasons why he really struggled with his breaking ball, to command it, because he was trying to keep from ripping that open again.”

David Peterson probably will be called up from TripleA Syracuse to join a rotation that includes Chris Bassitt (4-2 2.34), Carlos Carrasco (3-1, 3.73) and Taijuan Walker (1-0, 3.52).

• Hours after the Mets learned Scherzer will join fellow ace Jacob deGrom on the injured list, Pete Alonso kept New York rolling with a two-run homer in the 10th inning for a 7-6 win over St. Louis. With the automatic runner on second, Alonso drove the second pitch from Giovanny Gallegos (0-2) into the left field second deck for his third career game-ending home run. It was the 10th home run of the season for Alonso, who leads the majors with 33 RBIs.

ORIOLES 9, YANKEES 6 » Anthony Santander lined a threerun homer in the ninth inning off Lucas Luetge and Baltimore avoided a four-game sweep by beating New York.

REDS 4, GUARDIANS 2 » Tyler Naquin homered in the fifth inning and scored on Kyle Farmer’s go-ahead single in the eighth, leading Cincinnati to a win over Cleveland and the first series sweep of their Ohio neighbors since 2014.

WHITE SOX 7, ROYALS 4 » Luis Robert homered and drove in four runs as Chicago rallied past Kansas to win the five-game series.

Robert delivered a pair of RBI singles before hitting a two-run homer into the left field stands in the eighth.