Surging Mets flex their muscles

Marlins allow 4 homers en route to being swept in 4-game series

NEW YORK — Michael Conforto homered twice, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil hit two-run shots and the surging New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-2 Wednesday to complete a four-game sweep.

The Mets took another early lead and posted their sixth straight victory, winning for the 13th time in 14 games. New York has swept the last-place Marlins three times this season.

Steven Matz (7-7) won again at Citi Field, helping New York stay in the thick of the NL wild-card race.

Since sitting a seasonhigh 11 games under .500 after a loss at Miami on July 12 after the All-Star Game, New York (59-56) has won at a torrid pace and owns a major league-best 19-6 record since the break.

Following a four-pitch walk to Conforto in the first inning, Alonso homered for the third straight game, connecting off Jordan Yamamoto (4-3) for his 37th home run. The rookie’s homer marked the seventh straight time the Mets have scored in the first.

Matz (7-7) worked at a quick and easy pace, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks over 6 2⁄3 innings, striking out seven. He is 5-0 with an 2.14 ERA in 10 starts at home this year.

Matz reached on a leadoff single in the third and scored on Conforto’s 24th homer and 100th of his career, a first-pitch shot that hooked just inside the right field foul pole to give New York a 4-1 lead. Conforto has homered seven times in his last 11 games.

McNeil, the major league batting leader, lined his 15th home run off reliever Jose Quijada in the seventh. Conforto took Quijada deep two batters later for his fifth career multi-homer game.

Lewis Brinson put Miami on the board with an RBI single in the second. Brian Anderson added a solo homer in the sixth, his 18th.

Bryan Holaday chased Matz with a two-out double in the seventh. Veteran Martin Prado greeted reliever Justin Wilson with a pinch-hit single, moving Holaday to third. Wilson recovered, fanning Jon Berti to end the threat.

AL BELLO/GETTY The Mets’ Michael Conforto rounds the bases after hitting his second home run of the game against Jose Quijada of the Marlins during their game at Citi Field on Wednesday in New York City.