QUEENS, NY — Getting the green light on a 3-0 pitch from Orioles reliever Seranthony Dominguez, Francisco Alvarez walked the Mets off with a solo home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth to lift New York to a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night at Citi Field.
“I knew it was [gone the second it left the bat]… I felt very excited because they’re a very good team and we beat them,” Alvarez said. “I really appreciate [manager Carlos Mendoza] giving me the green light. I was just thinking hit the ball on the barrel and don’t think about the excitement.”
The rare showing of power from the struggling, slugging catcher came at a perfect time as it broke a 15-game homer-less spell and delivered the Mets (65-60) a third win in their last four games — this one vital in gaining ground on the Atlanta Braves for the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League.
“Good for Alvy to get that feeling back,” Mendoza said. “That was huge for us.”
Mets starter David Peterson pitched a career-high seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk, but fell apart in the seventh inning while nursing a 3-1 lead. With two outs and a runner on third, he balked home a run and on the very next pitch, allowed a solo home run to Ramon Urias to tie the game at three apiece.
“It felt good. It felt like [Alvarez] and I had a good plan and we were able to executive it and go right after them and stay on the offensive attack,” Peterson said. “[In the seventh], I threw a fastball on the balk down in the zone and then we should’ve switched to something else. He saw that, then we threw a sinker right after that and he was able to hit it out.”
JD Martinez put the Mets ahead three batters into the bottom of the first when he lifted his 13th home run of the season — a two-run shot — over the right-center field fence into the bullpens. It was the veteran designated hitter’s first home run in 13 games.
Tyrone Taylor gave the Mets a three-run lead in the bottom of the fourth when he lined a two-out single into left to score Pete Alonso, who led off the frame with a double.
The Orioles broke through against Peterson in the fifth after Jackson Holliday’s one-out grounder to first scored Urias from third in what was ruled as an unearned run for the Mets’ southpaw. The issue was that it was Peterson’s throwing error on a pick-off attempt that allowed Urias to move from second to third after the Oriole doubled with one out.
Peterson’s gem, which featured one run on four hits through six innings, lost its luster in the seventh inning and despite reaching a season-high in innings pitched, left with a no-decision as the Orioles found another two runs to tie it. He gave up a lead-off double to Ryan Mountcastle and with two outs in the inning, balked him home from third.
“It didn’t feel like a super long time in between hitters and when I came up, I saw the pitch clock was low and that’s my fault,” Peterson said. “I should have stepped off and been able to reset the clock.”
On the very next pitch, he gave up the solo shot to Urias.
“The balk happens and then before you know it, they tie the game with a homer,” Mendoza said. “But today, I thought this was his best outing of the year and he’s been very good for us.”
All the while, Mets bats had gone silent after the departure of Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers in the fifth. Against the Baltimore bullpen, New York bats went 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts from the fifth through the eighth innings before Alvarez called game.
