MLB: Pete Alonso hits league-leading 19th home run as Mets dismantle Cubs 10-1

Pete Alonso launched his major league-leading 19th home run and Carlos Carrasco got his first win this season as the New York Mets defeated the Chicago Cubs 10-1 on Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Brett Baty knocked in New York’s first two runs and the Mets put out 15 hits on a chilly night at Wrigley Field to ruin Kyle Hendricks’ season debut for the Cubs upon his return from a serious shoulder injury.

Jeff McNeil had three hits and scored three runs. New York gave up four consecutive hits with two outs in a three-run third inning to take a 4-1 lead on Starling Marte’s two-run single.

“We just put up good at bats in some key situations and big moments there,” McNeil said after the Mets were beaten 11-4 in the first two games of the series. “We haven’t been playing the kind of baseball we wanted the past few days. To get this victory is great.’

Alonso added a two-run homer in the seventh and Brandon Nimmo hit a two-run triple in a three-run eighth.

Dansby Swanson homered the first inning off Carrasco (1-2), who pitched 6 2/3 effective innings in his fifth start this year and second since missing about a month with an elbow injury. A 15-game winner in 2022, the veteran righthander gave up five hits and struckout four batters with two walks in his longest outing of the season. He lowered his ERA to 6.75.

“I could throw anything for strikes today,” said Carrasco, who produced many easy groundouts and flyouts. “When I have subs like that, I don’t want to stop throwing them because I can get a lot of ground balls.”

The Mets improved to 12-0 when their starting pitcher played at least six innings.

New York had dropped six in a row for the Cubs dating to last season.

Back from a capsular tear in his right shoulder, Hendricks (0-1) made his first start since June 5 last year. He gave up five runs – three earned – and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. The righthander struckout five and walked two.

“At the end of the day, getting to this point and getting out of there was No. 1,” Hendricks said.

RAYS 6, BLUE JAYS 3

Zach Eflin joined a special group with his latest win. Eflin became the third major league winner of seven games as Tampa Bay beat struggling Alek Manoah and Toronto 6–3 as the Rays took three of four from the Blue Jays.

Eflin (7-1) gave up one run and six hits in seven innings as the Major League-leading Rays (37-15) stole seven bases for the second time this season and improved at home to 24-5.

He joined Minnesota teammate Shane McClanahan (8-0) and Joe Ryan (7-1) as the winningest pitchers in the major leagues.

Their latest loss prompted Toronto players to hold a postgame rally in response to a 2-9 stretch Blue Jays manager John Schneider who was described as “punched right in the face.”

“We have to get better,” Schneider said after the team’s defeat. “When it comes to us as staff, expectations are put right in front of you.

‘There has to be urgency to meet those expectations. Profit and loss out the window. the past 10 days have not been great, and I think the urgency in which those expectations are trying to be met is not there.”

“Yes, that’s up to me and the players…Ultimately up to me.” Schneider added. “If the players recognize that, and if the players draw attention to it, it will carry much more weight than any member of staff trying to get angry or in their face.”

ORIOLES 3, YANKEES 1

Kyle Gibson gave up two hits in seven scoreless innings as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Yankees 3-1 to win two of three games against New York.

Anthony Santander had three hits, including an RBI single in the fifth off Clarke Schmidt (2-5). Austin Hays hit a two-run double in the eighth against Clay Holmes, a drive from the top of the right field wall.

Gibson (6-3) went in 1-6 with a 6.75 ERA in 10 appearances against the Yankees. He allowed a single on the first pitch to Gleyber Torres en route to the first and a single to Willie Calhoun en route to the seventh. Gibson walked about four batters and struckout three, getting 13 outs on ground balls.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected from the game again.

PADRES 8, NATIONALS 6

Rougned Odor hit a three-run homer off Hunter Harvey with two outs in the ninth inning to give the San Diego Padres an 8–6 victory over the Washington Nationals, stopping a steak of five straight series losses.

“He’s a man who throws really hard,” said Odor. “I was looking for the fastball and he threw me that fastball and I was good to go.”

Jake Cronenworth and Juan Soto singled leading up to the ninth. Harvey (2-2) struckout Xander Bogaerts and Matt Carpenter, and Odor homered on an 1-0 fastball, which fed the ball into right field just inside the foul post.

San Diego trailed 0-22 after eight innings this year.

TIGERS 7, WHITE SOX 2

Alex Faedo struckout a career-high 10 batters in six innings as the Detroit Tigers defeated the Chicago White Sox 7–2.

Faedo (1-2) has 22 strikeouts and four walks this season. The 27-year-old right-hander allowed two runs on three hits against the White Sox.

“He was incredible,” said Tigers manager AJ Hinch. “He had a good fastball, a good slider and he added some substitutions late. He did a lot of chases and attacked boys.’

GIANTS 5, BREWERS 0

Michael Conforto went 4 for 4 with a homer and six San Francisco pitchers combined on a four-hit batter as the Giants defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-0.

In a designed bullpen game, Scott Alexander, Taylor Rogers, Jakob Junis (3-2), Sean Manaea, Tyler Rogers and John Brebbia teamed up to strike out 13 batters and walk two batters.

Conforto reached on each of his five at bats with three hits, a solo homer and a walk. La Monte Wade Jr. went 3 for 5 with an RBI and Casey Schmitt was 2 of 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

ROCKIES 7, MARLINS 6

Ezequiel Tovar singled through a five-man infield during a storm in the ninth inning to lift Colorado 7–6 over the Miami Marlins after the Rockies squandered a four-run lead in the top of the inning.

Colorado took a 6–2 lead by four runs in the eighth, but Jorge Soler and pinch-hitter Garrett Cooper hit two-run homers off Pierce Johnson’s curveballs in the ninth.

Huascar Brazoban (0-1) walked Kris Bryant and Elias Díaz on four pitches each from the bottom half, retired Randal Grichuk on a flyout and, after leading Ryan McMahon 0-2, threw four consecutive balls that load the bases.

CARDINALS 2, RED 1

Nolan Gorman hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and scored on a wild pitch, helping the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Cincinnati Reds 2–1 to clinch their 13th win in 18 games.

Miles Mikolas (3-1) won his third decision in a row and gave up five hits in seven scoreless innings, tying his season-high. He struckout five batters and walked none.

Giovany Gallegos gave up a two-out RBI single to Stuart Fairchild in the ninth before striking out Luke Maile to record his fifth save in six chances.

BRAVES 8, PHILLIES 5

Austin Riley hit some monstrous home runs and pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud came through with a tiebreaking, two-run single in the eighth inning that lifted the Atlanta Braves to an 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

D’Arnaud, sent off for collapsing Michael Harris II with the bases loaded, lined out with one out single into left field off Gregory Soto (1-4). Matt Olson added a sacrifice fly.

In the first meeting between the NL East’s rivals since the Phillies’ 2022 Divisional Round victory, both teams showed enough strength to open a four-game series.

MARINERS 3, ATHLETICS 2

The Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics 3-2 after leading late in the eighth inning.

Logan Gilbert registered the victory after pitching eight innings and striking out six batters, while giving up three hits and two runs.

Ty France hit a home run for the wins along with a second RBI in the game.