SAN DIEGO (AP) - New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso got his revenge against San Diego with one mighty swing.
Alonso hit a 449-foot, two-run home run with no outs in the ninth inning to lift the Mets to a 7-6 victory over the Padres on Tuesday night that snapped a four-game losing streak.
The shot, his 11th, came a night after Alonso struck out twice against Padres rookie Chris Paddack, who had said he was “coming for” the Mets first baseman because he had won the NL’s Player of the Month Award for March and April.
Alonso finished with three hits and four RBIs Tuesday night.
“It was awesome,” Alonso said. “I was just really pumped. Got a pitch to drive, capitalized on it. To put us up like that it felt really good. It’s really nice that we won after losing four in a row. Today was a really good character test for us. This was a really good team win.”
Alonso flipped his bat after his mammoth drive, but said it was inadvertent because pine tar made it stick to his hands. The bat went in the direction of umpire Bill Miller, who spoke with Alonso after scored. Alonso said he apologized.
The homer off Adam Warren (2-1) was so big that Alonso said he “blacked out for a little bit. I just remember touching home. I don’t even remember touching the bases.”
As he headed out to the field for the bottom of the ninth, Alonso crossed paths with San Diego’s Manny Machado. “Manny said, ’Is that all you’ve got?’ He gave me a wink and a smile after he said it.”
On Monday night, Alonso went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in the Mets’ 4-0 loss. Paddack fist-pumped after striking out Alonso in his first two at-bats. Afterward, Alonso said Tuesday’s game was a must-win.
“I had a bad game and also it’s tough because we lost,” he said. “It leaves a real sour taste in your mouth after losing four in a row, especially on a road trip. Every game matters.”
Robinson Cano was aboard on a single, his fourth hit of the night. Cano doubled in the first inning for his 2,500th career hit.
Alonso’s homer gave the Mets a 7-5 lead. San Diego rallied for one run against Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the inning before he got Hunter Renfroe to ground out with the bases loaded to earn his ninth save.
Seth Lugo (3-0) pitched two innings for the win.
The Padres’ bullpen blew a 5-2 lead, allowing the Mets to rally for three runs on three hits and two walks in the seventh.
Alonso hit his second RBI single of the night, Michael Conforto followed with a sacrifice fly and Brandon Nimmo had an RBI double to snap out of an 0-for-28 slump.
Rookie Ty France’s hit his first big league homer, a two-run shot off Noah Syndergaard, and Franmil Reyes also connected for San Diego.
The Mets jumped on rookie Cal Quantrill for two runs on four straight hits to open the game before the right-hander, making his second big league start, retired the side. Jeff McNeil doubled on Quantrill’s third pitch and scored on Amed Rosario’s single. Cano followed with a double that bounced over the fence in right-center and Alonso hit an RBI single.
The Padres got one run back in the bottom of the first on singles by Reyes and Manny Machado, and a throwing error by shortstop Rosario.
Reyes tied it with an opposite-field homer to right off Syndergaard with two outs in the third, his 10th.
Hunter Renfroe, who homered in his last two games, including a walkoff grand slam against the Dodgers on Sunday, came within a foot of a homer with one out in the fourth, settling for a double. France then homered into the seats in left for a 4-2 Padres lead.
“Anytime you let a lead slip away it’s always a tough loss,” Padres manager Andy Green said.
Syndergaard allowed five runs -four earned- on nine hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and one walk. The big right-hander was coming off the rare feat of pitching a shutout and hitting a home run, which he did in the Mets’ 1-0 victory against Cincinnati on Thursday. He struck out 10 and allowed four hits in his second career shutout.
Quantrill, the son of former big league pitcher Paul Quantrill, allowed two runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked two.
“Four and a third isn’t good enough,” Quantrill said. “Think we battled well. Kept the team in the game for as long as I could. Made some great plays behind me. I think I just need to attack the hitters better. I had good enough stuff today, I just wasn’t controlling everything the way I like to.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Rookie SS Fernando Tatis Jr. took batting practice for the first time since going on the injured list after hurting his left hamstring in a loss at Washington on April 28, as well as doing other baseball activities. “He feels good,” manager Andy Green said. “Those are encouraging things.”
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Wilmer Font (1-0, 5.79 ERA in 10 appearances with Tampa Bay) said he’s been told he’ll start the series finale Wednesday afternoon. He was obtained from the Rays on Monday.
Padres: LHP Matt Strahm (1-2, 3.03) seeks to win consecutive outings for the first time in his career. He got the win in San Diego’s 11-2 victory at Atlanta on Thursday.
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