Alonso hits 2 homers to split doubleheader
PHILADELPHIA — Pete Alonso homered twice, had three hits and drove in five runs to lead the New York Mets to a 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the second game for a doubleheader split Sunday.
Chris Bassitt (4-2) allowed one run in 5 ⅔ innings for the NL East-leading Mets. Jean Segura homered for the Phillies.
In the opener, Bryce Harper homered again off Max Scherzer as the Phillies became the first team to beat the new Mets ace, snapping a four-game skid by topping New York 3-2.
Alonso almost single-handedly lifted the Mets in the nightcap, driving a changeup from Cristopher Sánchez (0-1) deep to left for a two-run homer in the first. He hit it even farther to left in the fifth off Nick Nelson, a three-run shot that put New York up 5-1.
“It felt good,” Alonso said of his second homer. “Just wanted to do what I could to put a good swing on a pitch in the zone.”
Alonso was 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts in the first game before helping the Mets avoid just their second losing streak of the season.
“We’ve played such great team baseball,” he said. “Everyone has answered the bell.”
Harper, using a pink bat for Mother’s Day, drove a 94 mph fastball from Scherzer (4-1) over the wall in right for a solo homer with two outs in the first. He screamed, “I love you, Mom!” into a TV camera before returning to the dugout.
“I thought we played well the first game and the second game got away from us,” Harper said.
Harper added an RBI single in the third inning of the opener. The reigning NL MVP also homered off Scherzer, his former Washington teammate, on May 1.
Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm and Segura each had a pair of hits in the first game for the Phillies, who bounced back from Thursday’s 8-7 loss to the Mets in which New York rallied for seven runs in the ninth inning.
“I think we needed that,” Phillies starter Kyle Gibson said. “For the offense to come out and do what they did against Max was big.”
The single-admission doubleheader was part of a makeup after games between the teams were rained out Friday and Saturday.
Scherzer suffered his first loss since last May 30, ending a string of 24 straight starts without a defeat. The streak spanned his starts with the Nationals, Dodgers and Mets.
Scherzer gave up three runs in six innings, striking out seven and walking none. He remained 18th all time in strikeouts with 3,069.
Gibson (3-1) gave up two runs and six hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
Before the game, the Mets released second baseman Robinson Canó a week after he was designated for assignment despite nearly $45 million remaining on his contract.