NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning and the New York Mets rallied past the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series between NL East foes.
Juan Soto hit a solo homer and an RBI double for the Mets against his original team. He also threw out a runner at home plate from right field.
Pete Alonso delivered a tying single in the eighth after Soto’s two-out double trimmed it to 4-3.
New York (43-24), which has the best record in the National League, has won four straight and 13 of 16 to move 19 games over .500 for the first time since finishing 101-61 in 2022.
CJ Abrams homered, doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Nationals. Nathaniel Lowe launched a two-run homer off Griffin Canning in the first, and MacKenzie Gore pitched six steady innings in his latest terrific performance.
The left-hander had six strikeouts, taking over the major league lead with 114, and walked none.
Washington pitchers retired 12 straight batters before Starling Marte drew a two-out walk from Jose A. Ferrer in the eighth.
Soto laced an RBI double that eluded diving right fielder Robert Hassell III for New York’s first hit since the fourth, and closer Kyle Finnegan was summoned to face the red-hot Alonso. He lined a single off the left-field wall that tied it 4, but was thrown out at second trying for a double.
Reed Garrett (2-2) pitched a perfect inning before McNeil lined the first pitch from Cole Henry (0-1) into right field to score pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña, the automatic runner placed at second base.
McNeil also blooped an RBI single to get the Mets on the board in the second.
Soto homered to left-center in the third. He said something after connecting and then stared down Gore a couple of times as he rounded the bases. The two were traded for each other as part of a 2022 blockbuster that also sent Abrams, Hassell and James Wood from San Diego to Washington.
Alonso has 19 RBIs in his last nine games. … Gore has permitted just three runs and four walks in 25 innings over his past four starts, leaving him with a 2.88 ERA this season.
Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (5-2, 4.02 ERA) faces LHP David Peterson (4-2, 2.80 ERA) in the middle game of the series Wednesday night.
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