WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Alonso hit his 42nd homer and Brandon Nimmo went deep twice to back a sharp outing by from José Quintana, and the New York Mets thumped the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Tuesday night.
Francisco Alvarez hit a three-run shot in the first inning, and Francisco Lindor also homered for the Mets, who finally gave Quintana some run support. The Mets had scored two or fewer runs in six of his eight starts this season.
Quintana (2-5) worked a season-high seven innings. He gave up his only run two batters into the game and didn't allow a hit after the third.
Patrick Corbin (9-13) allowed a season-worst eight runs while failing to make it through five innings for the first time since opening day as Washington lost its sixth straight, matching its worst skid of the season.
Before getting swept by Miami in four games at Nationals Park, Washington had won 16 of 20 at home to send underachieving, high-priced New York into the NL East cellar. The Mets now lead the last-place Nationals by 2 1/2 games.
Alvarez's homer was his first since Aug. 1 and 22nd of the season. The rookie catcher turned on Corbin's 1-0 fastball and sent it an estimated 419 feet to the bleachers behind the Mets’ bullpen in left to make it 4-0.
Lindor's 26th homer began a three-run third. With two outs, Mark Vientos tripled off the center-field wall. Alvarez walked, stole the first base of his career and then scored when Brett Baty hit a bloop over the outstretched glove of third baseman Carter Kieboom for a two-run single that made it 7-1.
Nimmo lined a solo shot in the fourth to the Nationals' bullpen in right, where Andres Machado was already warming to replace Corbin. Alonso greeted Machado with a homer in the fifth. Nimmo led off the ninth with his 22nd of the season.
Corbin reached 13 losses for the fifth time in his career, including the last three seasons with the Nationals. The 34-year-old left-hander helped lead Washington to a World Series title in the first year of his six-year, $140 million contract but is 26-55 since.
Mets right-hander Sam Coonrod, recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before the game to replace the injured Carlos Carrasco, did not retire any of the five batters he faced in the eighth. He was charged with four runs. Sean Reid-Foley allowed two inherited runners to score but ended Washington's chance at an unlikely rally.
POWER IS NOT THE PROBLEM
The Mets (64-74), who failed to get into playoff contention despite a record $365 million payroll to start the season, have hit 185 homers. Last year, New York went deep 171 times while finishing 101-61.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: RHP Carrasco broke his right pinky finger in a weightlifting mishap, had surgeries to set the bone and to insert a pin, and will miss the rest of the season, manager Buck Showalter said.
Nationals: OF Lane Thomas, the team's leading hitter, was rested with a sore back. Thomas, who's on a streak of homering in three consecutive games, had an MRI on Tuesday and the team was awaiting results, manager Dave Martinez said. ... SS CJ Abrams also got the night off, the first time this season that both he and Thomas were missing from Washington's lineup. ... RHP MacKenzie Gore was reinstated from the bereavement list. He was set to throw a bullpen Wednesday and start Friday.
UP NEXT
The teams wrap up their season series on Wednesday night, with José Butto (0-2, 4.30 ERA) starting for New York against Joan Adon (2-1, 5.90).
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