Jesse Winker hits a grand slam and Mets beat Red Sox 8-3 for 7th straight win
By JERRY BEACH Associated Press
NEW YORK - 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.
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.
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 before Maton retired Masataka Yoshida on a liner to strand runners at the corners in the eighth.
Francisco 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-place batters were a combined 1 for 15 with back-to-back third-inning sacrifice flies by Devers and Wilyer Abreu.
Jarren Duran hit an RBI double earlier in the third.
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.