Left-hander David Peterson and three relievers combined to allow only six hits on Wednesday night for the host New York Mets, who cruised to a 9-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.
Pete Alonso was 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for the Mets, who ended a four-game losing streak and moved within 1 1/2 games of the Braves for the final National League wild-card spot. Atlanta was slated to visit the San Francisco Giants later Wednesday night.
Despite the loss, the Athletics are an American League-best 16-10 since July 12.
Peterson (7-1) allowed an unearned run on three hits and four walks while striking out four over 6 1/3 innings. He had just one perfect inning but held the Athletics to one hit in 12 plate appearances with a runner on base.
Huascar Brazoban got Max Schuemann to hit into a double play to end the seventh. Danny Young allowed one hit and fanned two in the eighth before Adam Ottavino gave up a pair of two-out singles in the ninth for New York.
Mark Vientos put the Mets ahead with an RBI double in the second before Francisco Lindor and Alonso hit solo homers in the third and fourth, respectively, to make it 3-0.
New York pulled away in the seventh, when Will Klein walked the bases loaded before Lindor’s RBI single. Ben Gamel scored on a wild pitch and Brandon Nimmo lofted a sacrifice fly to center ahead of J.D. Martinez’s run-scoring double. Alonso added a two-run double two batters later, putting the Mets up 9-1.
Daz Cameron had a sacrifice fly in the sixth for the Athletics, who avoided being shut out for the 13th time this year. Miguel Andujar had two hits and a walk.
A’s starter Joey Estes (5-5) took the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out three over 5 1/3 innings. The rookie right-hander entered Wednesday 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his previous five games (four starts).
