Conforto’s blast keeps playoff hopes alive
CINCINNATI >> Michael Conforto didn’t see how deep his first inning drive sailed into the right field seats.
He knew all he needed to know.
Conforto homered to cap a four-run first inning and the Mets kept pace in their wild-card chase with a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
“I knew it was gone,” he said. “I just ran the bases. It felt good to put us up big in the first inning. I knew we would add on a couple.”
J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo also connected for the Mets, who remained 4 ½ games behind Milwaukee for the second NL wild-card berth after the Brewers held off Pittsburgh 4-3.
New York starter Marcus Stroman, battling a bout of nausea, walked the bases loaded with two outs and a 4-2 lead in the fifth.
“It was hard to get my stomach and head in order, but that had nothing to do with it,” Stroman said. “At the end of the day, I didn’t execute. I kind of hurt myself with walks.”
Brad Brach (5-4) came on to get Eugenio Suárez to pop up on the first pitch. Suárez, second in the majors behind Mets rookie Pete Alonso with 48 home runs, slammed his black bat to the ground in frustration.
Alonso went 1 for 4 with a double to remain at 50 home runs. He was intentionally walked in the ninth, drawing a scattering of boos from Mets fans.
Alonso and Robinson Canó doubled in the first inning off Trevor Bauer. Wilson Ramos was hit by a pitch and Conforto launched a three-run homer, his 31st.
“When he hits one like that, watch out,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “His tend to come in bunches.”
Eight of New York’s nine hits went for extra bases.
“I tried to go up and in on Alonso and it got too much of the plate,” Bauer said. “It was a terrible pitch the first hit. I threw the fastball right where I wanted to Conforto, and he hit it. It has been like that the whole year in a lot of cases. I pitch seven innings with six hits and eight strikeouts. The hits have been stacked in the worst possible way.”