Alonso homers, Mets lose
Despite rookie’s 43rd, Kingery’s 3-run double keys Philadelphia’s win
Scott Kingery snapped an eighth-inning tie with a threerun double and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 5-2 on Sunday night to avert a three-game sweep.
Brad Miller hit a solo homer and a double for the Phillies, who pulled within 21/2 games of the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild card.
Pete Alonso hit his 43rd homer and Wilson Ramos extended his hitting streak to 25 consecutive games with a fourth-inning double for the Mets, who are four games behind the Cubs.
After the Mets tied it at 2 on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth, Bryce Harper led off the bottom half with a single against Daniel Zamora (0-1), who was just recalled from the minors. Jeurys Familia walked Rhys Hoskins before Miller f lied out to deep center, allowing both runners to advance. Cesar Hernandez was intentionally walked to load the bases for Kingery, who lined a 1-0 pitch into the left-center field gap.
Hector Neris (3-5) got the final five outs for Philadelphia.
New York tied it in the eighth when Brandon Nimmo, playing in his first game since May 20 due to a neck injury, scored from third on a wild pitch by Neris during a crazy inning.
The Mets put runners on second and third with one out for Jeff Mcneil, who entered Sunday batting .326. But his slump reached 0-for-13 when he grounded to Hoskins at first base and he threw out Rajai Davis at the plate.
Davis slid headfirst on the play and took out the legs of veteran umpire Joe West, who ended up laying on Davis for several seconds before finally being helped up by Neris and calling Davis out.
Neris was brought in after Mike Morin allowed the first two batters to reach before Luis Guillorme’s sacrifice bunt advanced both runners.
Phillies starter Zach Eflin pitched seven stellar innings, allowing only Alonso’s first-inning homer and two other hits. But manager Gabe Kapler elected to pinch-hit for Ef lin in the seventh with Philadelphia ahead 2-1 even though the right-hander had thrown just 84 pitches.
Mets starter Marcus Stroman also pitched well, giving up two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks in six-plus innings. Stroman was lifted after Adam Haseley’s leadoff double in the seventh.