Mets ride three huge innings to blowout of Twins

Field Level Media|published: Mon 29th July, 22:37 2024

Jul 29, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) hits a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Alonso homered to lead off a six-run fourth-inning outburst Monday night by the host New York Mets, who rolled to a 15-2 win over the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

Eight starters had at least one hit and one RBI apiece for the Mets, who later added five- and four-run innings while snapping a two-game losing streak and improving to 16-9 this month.

Jesse Winker, the lone New York starter without an RBI, was 1-for-2 with a walk before being lifted for Tyrone Taylor following the fifth inning. Taylor went 2-for-2 with two runs.

Jeff McNeil and Luis Torrens had three RBIs apiece for the Mets, and Torrens had a game-high three hits.

Byron Buxton laced an RBI single in the first and Ryan Jeffers homered in the ninth for the Twins, who have lost six of 10. Buxton finished 2-for-2 with a walk.

Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson (3-2) opened with three scoreless innings before Alonso homered on his second pitch of the fourth. The next six batters also reached -- including McNeil, Torrens and Francisco Lindor, all of whom had RBI singles -- before Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Martinez hit consecutive sacrifice flies.

Martinez's RBI, which made it 5-1, knocked Woods Richardson from the game. Cole Sands took over on the mound.

The Mets sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth, when Nimmo (single), Martinez (fielder's choice), Mark Vientos (bases-loaded walk), McNeil (sacrifice fly) and Harrison Bader (hit by pitch) all collected an RBI.

Alonso and McNeil had run-scoring doubles in the eighth before Torrens hit a two-RBI double off outfielder Matt Wallner, who made his first major league pitching appearance.

Jose Quintana (6-6) cruised to the win after allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out five over six innings.

Jose Butto earned his second save, permitting four hits and a run over the final three innings.

Woods Richardson gave up six runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out two over 3 1/3 innings. Wallner, who threw mostly pitches clocked below 50 mph, got the final four outs without allowing a run.

--Field Level Media