Pete Alonso belted a three-run homer Wednesday and Sean Manaea worked five effective innings as the New York Mets stopped the visiting Los Angeles Angels 6-3 to polish off a three-game sweep.
Manaea (1-1) allowed just two hits and a run, walking two and fanning five in his third appearance (second start) since returning off the injured list. Edwin Diaz pitched the last 1 1/3 innings for his 21st save in 23 chances.
Bulk reliever Jake Eder (0-1) absorbed the loss, permitting five runs off seven hits and a walk over the last six innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Opener Brock Burke and Sam Bachman each pitched an inning.
Los Angeles trailed 6-1 but rallied for two runs in the seventh and got the tying run to the plate in the eighth with two outs after Diaz plunked Travis d’Arnaud. But Diaz slipped a called third strike past Luis Rengifo, leading to the ejection of interim manager Ray Montgomery by plate umpire Erich Bacchus.
Later in the eighth, Bacchus dumped Angels coach Tim Laker, also for arguing balls and strikes.
Brandon Nimmo got New York off to a flying start by cracking a leadoff homer in the first off Burke, his 19th of the season. Los Angeles tied it in the third when Mike Trout rifled a solo homer to right-center, his 18th of the season and 999th career RBI.
Francisco Lindor broke an 0-for-31 skid in the bottom of the third with a run-scoring single. Two batters later, Alonso golfed Eder’s low fastball an estimated 439 feet to the seats in left-center for his 22nd homer.
Lindor made it 6-1 in the fourth with his second RBI single that scored Luis Torrens. The Mets appeared to be cruising until the Angels got back into the game in the seventh. Rengifo’s fielder’s choice bouncer to first plated Kevin Newman and Chris Taylor lined an RBI double into the right field corner.
Nimmo, Lindor, Alonso and Starling Marte each picked up two of New York’s 10 hits.
–Field Level Media
