PHILADELPHIA — Francisco Alvarez, Brandon Nimmo and Harrison Bader hit three-run home runs, Jose Quintana allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings and the New York Mets beat the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies 11-3 on Friday night for their 12th win in 14 games.
Alvarez and Nimmo hit three home runs in the fifth inning against Aaron Nola (12-8), Alvarez’s second three-run home run in a three-at-bat series.
“We’re playing well,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
Bader hit a home run in the eighth inning against Tyler Gilbert and Pete Alonso hit a home run in the ninth inning against infielder Kody Clemens. It was the first major league home run Clemens allowed in 12 career pitching appearances. His father, seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, allowed 363 home runs in 24 seasons.
New York All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor had an RBI double and left the game midway through the seventh inning because of back pain. Mendoza said it was a precautionary measure and Lindor likely would have stayed in the game had the score been closer.
Philadelphia (88-59) leads the NL East by seven games over New York (81-66), which remains one game ahead of Atlanta (80-67) for the final NL wild card. The series opener marked the start of a seven-game, 10-day series between the rivals.
The Mets’ first three home runs were all three-run drives, the first since Sept. 25, 2015 in Cincinnati, when Lucas Duda hit two and Curtis Granderson hit one.
Brandon Marsh hit a three-run home run with two outs against Alex Young in the ninth inning. The Phillies had won three games in a row and nine of 11.
Quintana (9-9) had four strikeouts, no walks and threw 62 of 94 pitches as strikes.
“Especially when you’re going against a lineup like that, you have to be ahead,” Quintana said of the count. “I’m really happy with how my stuff worked.”
In front of a sold-out crowd of 44,607, Nola did not allow a single hit for four innings.
“He located the ball well. We were just looking for the mistake,” said Alvarez.
Alvarez gave the Mets the lead when he hit a hanging curve pass off the net at the foul post in left field.
“I stayed in the ball,” said Alvarez.
Replays showed Jose Iglesias, who was on second base, apparently signaling to Alvarez before the pitch.
“He gets to a point mechanically where he’s ready to shoot,” Mendoza said of Alvarez.
Nimmo also hit a home run on a curveball. The ball ended up in the hands of a young Mets fan after a Phillies fan who caught it decided to give up the souvenir rather than throw an opponent’s home run back onto the field.
Nola, who allowed six runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings, was booed on the way back to the dugout.
“Made a few bad throws,” Nola said.
TRAINING ROOM
Mets: Reliever Dedniel Núñez will miss the rest of the season with a right flexor injury, manager Carlos Mendoza said. The 28-year-old rookie right-hander has a 2.31 ERA in 25 appearances but has pitched only once since July 23. Mendoza said Núñez will receive a PRP injection. In 35 innings, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound player struck out 48 and walked eight.
Phillies: 3B Alec Bohm (left hand injury) and INF Edmundo Sosa (back spasms) will begin rehab duties Saturday at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Bohm has been on the injured list since Sept. 3, while Sosa has been on the injured list since Sept. 7.
Next
New York RHP Luis Severino (10-6, 3.74) takes the mound for the Mets on Saturday in the second game of a three-game series against Philadelphia LHP Kolby Allard (2-0, 3.50).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
