Baltimore powers way to another win

NEW YORK — Rookie Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run homer, Rio Ruiz added a threerun shot as the Baltimore Orioles hit four homers and cruised to an 11-2 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

The Orioles won their fourth straight and improved to 20-21, moving within a half-game of the slumping Yankees for the second wild-card spot.

D.J. Stewart also homered for the third straight game after hitting three homers in Baltimore’s weekend series over the

Yankees. Cedric Mullins had an RBI triple as the Orioles won for the sixth time in eight games.

Pat Valaika hit asolo homerand had an RBI infield single that the Mets challenged and could not get overturned in the fifth. Valaika’s hit occurred just before Ruiz lined a 3-1 sinker from Robert Gsellman into the right field seats to turn the game into a rout.

JoseIglesiascappedthescoring with an RBIsingle in the eighth.

Baltimore tied season highs for homers and runs and scored double-digit runs for the third time this season.

Jake Marisnick and Jeff

McNeil homered for the Mets, who lost for the eighth time in 12 games.

Baltimore left-hander John Means (1-3) rebounded nicely from one of his worst starts of the season, allowing one run on three hits in a season-high six innings. Means struck out five, walked one and threw a seasonhigh 97 pitches.

Michael Wacha (1-3) allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits in four innings. He has allowed 11 runs in three starts since returning from a threeweek injured list stint due to right shoulder inflammation.