Brett Baty hit a two-run homer to trigger a comeback and scored the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning Monday night for the host New York Mets, who beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-5 in the opener of a three-game series.
The Mets, who tied a season high by overcoming a four-run deficit, have won two straight following a three-game losing streak. The Angels, who squandered a four-run lead in a loss for the fourth time, fell to 8-9 this month.
Logan O’Hoppe homered in the second and Taylor Ward (two-run double) and Jo Adell (single) had back-to-back RBI hits in the third to give the Angels a 4-0 lead. After Baty’s two-run homer in the fourth cut that lead in half, Ward’s RBI single in the seventh made it a 5-2 margin.
The Mets tied it in the seventh. Francisco Lindor legged out the back end of a potential double-play ball as Francisco Alvarez scored, and Juan Soto followed with a two-run single to make it 5-5.
In the eighth, Baty drew a one-out walk against Jose Fermin (2-1). Alvarez, recalled from Triple-A Syracuse earlier in the day, doubled off the right field wall before pinch hitter Ronny Mauricio, facing Brock Burke, hit a hard grounder to third base.
Yoan Moncada had trouble getting the ball out of his glove before firing wide to the third base side of O’Hoppe as Baty stepped around the Angels catcher to score standing up.
Brandon Nimmo then lofted a sacrifice fly for an insurance run.
Brooks Raley (1-0) allowed one hit in the eighth before Edwin Diaz struck out all three batters in the ninth for his 20th save.
Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo collected three hits while O’Hoppe had two hits and a stolen base.
Mets right-hander Kodai Senga gave up four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five in three innings. Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson allowed four runs on four hits and five walks while striking out four over six-plus innings.
–Field Level Media
