Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor lead Mets past A's to end skid
Pete Alonso of the Mets celebrates his fourth-inning home run against the Athletics at Citi Field on Wednesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
In a 9-1 win over the Athletics on Wednesday night, the Mets received a reminder of their reality: If they are going anywhere this season, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor are taking them.
That duo powered the Mets to an easy end of what had been a four-game losing streak. Alonso finished 4-for-4 with a home run, double and three RBIs. Lindor went 2-for-5 with a homer — his 100th with the club — and two RBIs.
Perhaps the team’s top two hitters in recent years, Lindor and Alonso haven’t enjoyed too many nights like this one recently, at least not at the same time. But their continued production is central to the Mets (62-58) escaping this midsummer toiling and climbing back into a National League wild-card spot.
“Leadoff [hitter] is somebody who sets the vibes of the day, who starts the day with something positive,” Lindor said, adding that he feels a “big” personal responsibility to perform. “I take a lot of pride in that.”
Alonso said: “Whether it’s day one of the season, day four, day 40, whatever, I just want to be my best, always. I’m human. Sometimes that’s not the case. Every single day, I come ready to go. That’s the one thing I take pride in: Ready to go every single day . . . I hold myself to a high standard. I want to execute. I want to win.”
After his successful night, Alonso’s OPS sat at .804. Lindor had an .802. Those rank second and third among Mets regulars (behind Mark Vientos’ .869).
Each had a hand in the six-run bottom of the seventh that turned a tight game into a laugher. Lindor added an RBI single, Alonso a run-scoring double.
For Alonso in particular, a game like this is another welcome hint that maybe he is rounding into his regular form.
His numbers are down relative to his norm, so the Mets know there is more in there. And they know they need it.
“He’s done good enough,” Lindor said. “For us to be in the postseason, he’s going to be a huge part of the success that we have on a daily basis. We need Pete to be Pete Alonso.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza said: “We’ve seen it on and off. When he’s right, he can be pretty dangerous. We saw some signs today.”
Lefthander David Peterson had another start typical of his season: a bunch of baserunners, very little actual damage.
He lasted 6 1⁄3 innings, allowing one unearned run, three hits and four walks. His best moment came in the fourth, when Oakland (51-70) put its first two runners on base via a walk (Miguel Andujar) and single (JJ Bleday). Peterson retired the next three batters — the middle of the A’s order — on eight pitches to escape the jam.
His marks on the year: 3.03 ERA, 1.39 WHIP. He has consistently worked into and out of trouble.
“When your back is against the wall, you’re either going to give in or fight back and get out of it,” he said. “I’d rather fight back and get out of it.”
The Mets reached Oakland righthander Joey Estes for three runs in 5 1⁄3 innings, scoring once in the second (Mark Vientos double), third (Lindor homer) and fourth (Alonso homer).
Vientos’ hit — ripped at and by rookie third baseman Darell Hernaiz — provided the Mets with their first lead since Thursday.
For Wednesday to ultimately matter, the Mets need more days just like that — from Alonso and Lindor especially.
“We like the pressure,” Lindor said. “We love the pressure. Pressure means we’re doing something that matters.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
