Queens, NY—-Pete Alonso had his best game of the season, driving in five runs and teaming up with Francisco Lindor for back-to-back home runs in the first inning against Dylan Cease. The explosive start gave the Mets a quick three-run lead, setting the stage for their eventual 11-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday, marking their fifth consecutive win.
Tylor Megill pitched effectively for the Mets, allowing just two runs and five hits over five innings as New York surged to a commanding 7-1 advantage early on, a lead they maintained to sweep San Diego for the first time since 2006.
“We’ve been able to win these kinds of games recently, which is something we struggled with in May,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza remarked.
San Diego, now below .500 at 37-38 and struggling with a seven-game losing streak on the road, struggled to find offensive consistency.
“We need to find a way to connect our hitting and pitching more consistently,” Padres manager Mike Shildt acknowledged.
Lindor kicked off the game with his 19th career leadoff home run, matching up against Cease just as he did in 2019. Alonso followed suit with a three-run blast, his 15th homer of the season, pushing the Mets ahead 4-1 early on.
Despite a late surge from San Diego, pulling within one run in the eighth inning, the Mets held firm. Drew Smith’s crucial strikeout of Fernando Tatis Jr. with runners threatening secured the win. Alonso then sealed the victory with a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth against Jeremiah Estrada.
With the win, the Mets extended their hot streak, winning nine of their last 11 games and 11 out of 15 since a tough series against the Dodgers prompted a team meeting. Heading into a road stretch, they sit just within reach of the NL’s wildcard spots among a tightly contested group of nine teams.
“We played really well as a team,” Alonso reflected. “We strung together some wins during this homestand, and we’re aiming to carry that momentum on the road.”
Both teams donned special jerseys and caps featuring light blue ribbons and elements in honor of Father’s Day and to raise awareness about prostate cancer.
UP NEXT:
Padres: RHP Randy Vásquez (1-3, 4.93) will be on the mound for San Diego and LHP Cristopher Sánchez (3-3, 3.07) for the Phillies in a series opener at Philadelphia.
Mets: LHP David Peterson (2-0, 4.32) starts Monday night’s series opener at Texas, which goes with RHP Jon Gray (2-2, 2.17).
