Lindor powers New York to win
MIAMI — Francisco Lindor homered, doubled and drove in four runs to lead the New York Mets past the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Friday night.
Mark Canha also went deep and Taijuan Walker pitched six-plus innings of three-run ball for the NL East leaders. Walker (6-2) allowed eight hits, walked two and struck out five.
All three runners scored on Lindor’s bases-loaded double in the sixth that gave New York a 5-2 lead.
Miami starter Sandy Alcantara (7-3), who entered with a 1.72 ERA, gave up five runs — four earned — and six hits in seven innings. The right-hander has gone at least seven innings in nine straight outings.
Prior to Lindor’s double to deep right-center, Starling Marte appeared to ground into a double play. But the Mets successfully challenged that second baseman Willians Astudillo failed to tag runner Brandon Nimmo, and Marte beat Astudillo’s throw to first. Tomas Nido, who led off the inning with a single, reached third.
Astudillo entered in the sixth after Jazz Chisholm Jr. left because of back spasms.
Garrett Cooper’s two-out walk against reliever Drew Smith with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh got Miami within 5-3. Adam Ottavino retired Jesus Aguilar on a fly to center and pitched a scoreless eighth.
Edwin Diaz worked around two singles in a scoreless ninth for his 15th save.
The loss snapped the Marlins’ six-game home winning streak.
Canha broke a 1-all tie with a solo homer off Alcantara in the fifth. Alcantara had retired 11 straight before Canha’s drive that landed in the left-field seats.
The Marlins responded in the bottom half when Jon Berti scored on Jorge Soler’s groundout. Berti hit a one-out single and advanced to third on Chisholm’s single to right.
Lindor gave the Mets a quick lead with his solo shot in the first. He drilled Alcantara’s 99 mph sinker over the wall in center for his 12th homer.
It was the first home run allowed by Alcantara since May 11, a stretch of 61 1⁄3 innings.
Cooper’s run-scoring single in the bottom half tied it.
The Mets reinstated catcher James McCann from the injured list and optioned catcher Patrick Mazeika to Class AAA Syracuse. Righthander Seth Lugo was activated from the paternity list and Yoan Lopez was optioned to Syracuse.