NEW YORK (AP) — Jesse Winker hit his fifth career grand slam, Phil Maton wriggled out of an eighth-inning jam and the surging New York Mets matched a season high by winning their seventh straight game, 8-3 over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.
“It feels good, but there’s a lot of games left, there’s a lot of good teams in the race,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
The Mets completed a three-game sweep of Boston, which has lost six of its last seven, and have now won 14 of their last 19 games to pull within a half-game of Atlanta for the third NL wild-card spot.
“I feel like every game I’ve been here has had a playoff vibe to it because they’re so meaningful to us as a team,” said Winker, who was acquired July 28 from the Washington Nationals.
New York had just four hits after Winker’s first-inning homer against Tanner Houck (8-10), but relievers Alex Young, Huascar Brazobán and Danny Young (3-0) induced inning-ending double plays in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
Harrison Bader cut off Rob Refsnyder’s two-out pinch-hit single to center off Maton in the eighth. Refsnyder went to third on Tyler O’Neill’s single before Maton retired Masataka Yoshida on a liner to a leaping Francisco Lindor.
“Obviously can’t say enough good things about the defense,” Maton said.
The Mets scored four times on just one hit in the bottom of the eighth, when Kenley Jansen and Rich Hill combined for three straight bases-loaded walks before Bader’s sacrifice fly.
“Right now it’s just about winning baseball games any way you can,” Winker said.
Lindor led off the game with a single and added a double in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to 15 games, tying the career high he set with Cleveland in 2018. He has also reached base in a career-best 33 straight games, the longest active streak in the majors.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora juggled his lineup — batting Rafael Devers second for the first time since May 7, Tyler O’Neill fourth for the first time since May 1 and Triston Casas sixth for the first time this season — in hopes of sparking a team that scored five runs in losing its previous four games. But Boston’s second through sixth batters were a combined 1 for 15 with back-to-back third-inning sacrifice flies by Devers and Wilyer Abreu.
“We had traffic and we didn’t cash in,” Cora said. “Just another tough one.”
Jarren Duran hit an RBI double earlier in the third for the Red Sox, who fell to .500 at 70-70 for the first time since they were 35-35 on June 14 and dropped 5 1/2 games back of Kansas City for the third AL wild card.
“We’re playing .500 baseball,” Cora said. “I don’t think that’s good enough.”
Mets starter Tylor Megill allowed three runs in four-plus innings.
Houck gave up five hits and struck out seven in five innings. He struck out six in a row between the third and fifth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: SS Trevor Story (dislocated left shoulder) went 0 for 4 with Triple-A Worcester in his third rehab game. … RHP Liam Hendriks (Tommy John surgery) will pitch twice this week for Worcester. Cora said Hendriks has yet to pitch on back-to-back days during his rehab because he is feeling routine post-surgery stiffness.
Mets: RHP Kodai Senga (left calf) threw 25 pitches in his first bullpen session Wednesday. Senga is hopeful he can return from the 60-day injured list when eligible Sept. 25. … RHP Paul Blackburn (bruised right hand) felt good after his rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Syracuse and is expected to return to the big league rotation for Monday’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Boston returns home Friday to host the Chicago White Sox, who snapped a 12-game losing streak Wednesday night by beating the Baltimore Orioles 8-1. Neither team has announced a starter.
Mets: The Mets continue a six-game homestand Friday when LHP Sean Manaea (11-5, 3.35 ERA) starts on normal rest against the Cincinnati Reds, who have not announced a starter.
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