Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez hit back-to-back homers to cap a four-run first inning Wednesday afternoon and vault the host Houston Astros to a 5-3 win over the New York Mets, and a sweep of the two-game interleague series.
Alvarez finished with two homers for the Astros, who have won three straight and seven of nine. It was the fourth two-homer game of the season for Alvarez, who entered Wednesday tied for third in the American League in both homers and RBIs.
The Mets were swept in a series for the first time this season.
The Astros scored all of their first-inning runs before Carlos Carrasco (8-3) recorded an out. Jose Altuve drew a leadoff walk and scored on Michael Brantley’s double before Bregman (2-for-3) and Alvarez went deep.
The Mets scored in the top of the third off Luis Garcia (5-5) when Dominic Smith delivered a leadoff double, went to third on Tomas Nido’s groundout and scored on Brandon Nimmo’s sacrifice fly.
But Alvarez homered again in the third inning off Carrasco, who walked the next batter, Kyle Tucker, before exiting due to lower back tightness. Carrasco allowed the five runs on four hits and two walks, with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.
A quartet of relievers combined to toss three-hit scoreless ball the rest of the way for the Mets, who chased Garcia while mounting a comeback in the sixth.
Nimmo led off with a walk and scored on a double by Starling Marte before Francisco Lindor singled, moving Marte to third.
Ryne Stanek entered and induced Pete Alonso to hit into a sacrifice fly before surrendering a double to Luis Guillorme. Mark Canha then worked a walk to load the bases, but Stanek retired Eduardo Escobar on a pop-up and struck out Smith.
Hector Neris, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly limited the Mets to one hit the rest of the way, with Pressly earning his 14th save by tossing a perfect ninth.
Garcia allowed the three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five in five innings.
Lindor and Guillorme had two hits apiece for the Mets.
–Field Level Media
