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Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil smack pair of homers in Mets' 13-5 win over Rockies to complete sweep

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Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil smack pair of homers in Mets' 13-5 win over Rockies to complete sweep

The Mets wrapped up their week-long road trip on a high note, sweeping the lowly Colorado Rockies with a power-packed 13-5 win on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.

Here are the takeaways…

— New York drew first blood just five batters in, as Jeff McNeil won a 10-pitch at-bat against Rockies starter Chase Dollander by crushing a fastball into the right-field bullpen for a solo home run in the second inning. The 411-foot blast was McNeil’s fifth long ball this season, and he entered Sunday seeing an average 3.65 pitches per plate appearance, a career-high mark. After a single from Ronny Mauricio and a walk from Tyrone Taylor, the Mets bumped their lead to 2-0 with a one-out RBI single from Francisco Alvarez. Dollander simply labored, needing 38 pitches to complete the inning.

— The Mets inflicted further damage on Dollander with a three-run third. After a leadoff single from Juan Soto, who proceeded to reach second on a wild pick-off throw, Pete Alonso once again flaunted his power with a two-run homer to left-center. The 416-foot shot bumped Alonso’s season RBI total to an MLB-best 59, and he’s now tied with David Wright for second on the franchise’s all-time homers list (242). Moments later, Mauricio singled, stole second, and then scored on a double to left from Taylor.

— The Rockies didn’t allow Dollander to come back out for the fourth, but the pitching change didn’t upset the Mets. They tacked on another three runs against reliever Juan Mejia when McNeil launched his second homer of the game — a towering shot to right — to make it 8-0. The rally was sparked by Soto’s third hit of the day and Alonso’s second. Through four innings, the Mets registered 11 hits.

— While the Mets’ offense stole the spotlight early on, Tylor Megill was equally as dominant. The right-hander attacked the Rockies with relative ease, striking out the side in the first inning and retiring 12 of the first 14 batters faced without allowing a hit. But his no-hit bid ended in the fifth on a leadoff double from Sam Hilliard, and he ultimately allowed two runs on three knocks and one walk in the frame that required 29 pitches. The Mets decided five innings were enough for Megill, who struck out five across 82 pitches (51 strikes) and lowered his ERA to 3.76.

— A six-run cushion wasn’t satisfying to the Mets. They pushed the lead back to eight in the seventh, when a leadoff double from McNeil — his third extra-base hit of the day — was followed by a two-run homer to right from Brett Baty, who stepped up to the plate with a measly .103 average across his previous 29 at-bats.

— In the eighth, Alonso claimed sole possesion of second place on the Mets’ homers list with a 372-foot two-run shot to left that increased the lead to 12-3. The dinger also pushed him ahead of Daryl Strawberry — who remains the franchise’s home run king — for the most multi-homer games in Mets history. Then, in the ninth, Alvarez gave the Mets their sixth homer of the day, a mammoth 450-foot shot to dead center, that made the score 13-3.

— Paul Blackburn took over for Megill in the sixth, making his fifth-career relief appearance, and he accomplished an unusual feat. He technically recorded a four-inning save by completing the game, despite allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk. It was the Mets’ first save of the kind since 2008.

— Soto’s afternoon at the plate was subtly terrific. He reached base a career-high six times with three singles and three walks, boosting his season on-base percentage to .384. Oddly enough, the one-two punch of Francisco Lindor (0-for-5)and Brandon Nimmo (1-for-6) atop the order produced only one of the team’s 17 total hits. Lindor was the only starter who didn’t join the hit parade.

Game MVPs: Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil

Alonso made some more franchise history, surpassing Wright for second on the Mets’ all-time homers list, while McNeil showed off some muscle with the third multi-homer game of his career.

Highlights

What’s next

The Mets (42-24) will take Monday off and begin a six-game homestand on Tuesday night, with the first of three against the division-rival Washington Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Griffin Canning (6-2, 2.90 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite lefty MacKenzie Gore (3-5, 2.87 ERA), who currently leads the NL in strikeouts.



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