Francisco Lindor’s seventh-inning grand slam completed a comeback from a four-run deficit Tuesday night for the visiting New York Mets, who beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-5.
Pete Alonso’s three-run homer in the sixth started the comeback from a 4-0 hole by the Mets (95-55), who won their sixth straight game to remain one game ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
The Braves (93-55) won their fifth straight game Tuesday by edging the Washington Nationals 3-2. They clinched a playoff spot with the Brewers’ loss.
The Brewers (78-70) remained 2 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the race for the third and final NL wild-card spot. The Phillies fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 18-11 earlier Tuesday night.
The Brewers raced out to a 3-0 lead against Mets starter Carlos Carrasco in the second inning as Andrew McCutchen hit an RBI double and Omar Narvaez and Willy Adames added run-scoring singles. Kolten Wong extended Milwaukee’s lead to 4-0 with an RBI single off Trevor Williams in the fifth.
But the Mets, who clinched a playoff berth Monday night in a 7-2 win, began stirring in the sixth. With one out, Mark Canha was hit by a pitch and Lindor followed with a single before Alonso hit a 425-foot homer well beyond the center field fence.
The Mets loaded the bases against Taylor Rogers (4-8) with three consecutive one-out walks in the seventh. After Canha struck out, Lindor hit his fifth career grand slam on the first pitch he saw from Rogers.
Adames pulled the Brewers within 7-5 by delivering another RBI single with two outs in the eighth. Edwin Diaz entered and struck out Rowdy Tellez before striking out two in a perfect ninth to earn his 31st save.
Joely Rodriguez (2-4), the third of six Mets pitchers, retired all three batters he faced bridging the sixth and seventh innings.
Carrasco allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings.
Brewers starter Aaron Ashby, on a pitch count in his first start after missing a month with left shoulder inflammation, surrendered one hit and two walks while striking out two in two innings. Milwaukee utilized six relievers following Ashby.
–Field Level Media
