Alonso homers to start the Mets on their way to a 15-2 blowout against the Twins

NEW YORK – Pete Alonso ignited a dominant six-run fourth inning with a home run, leading the New York Mets to a resounding 15-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. The game, which marked the start of an interleague series between playoff hopefuls, turned into a one-sided affair.

Jeff McNeil and Luis Torrens each drove in three runs as the Mets batted around twice in a three-inning stretch. Every Mets starter collected at least one RBI, except for new addition Jesse Winker. Winker, who made his debut after being acquired from Washington in exchange for minor league pitcher Tyler Stuart, singled and scored before being substituted in the sixth inning.

Jose Quintana (6-6) gave up an early run but quickly settled in, holding the Twins scoreless for the remainder of his six-inning outing. Quintana earned his second consecutive win and improved to 5-1 in his last six starts.

After struggling against Atlanta in their previous series, the Mets’ potent lineup reawakened with a flurry of offense. All 11 players who appeared in the game had at least one hit, with Torrens contributing three of New York’s 17 hits against six different Twins pitchers.

Matt Wallner, making his major league debut on the mound, provided a glimmer of hope for Minnesota by holding the Mets scoreless over the final 1 1/3 innings with slow, looping pitches.

Alonso, who homered in his previous game, also added a run-scoring double and scored three times. Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Martinez each drove in two runs, with Nimmo getting his first RBIs since the All-Star break.

Minnesota’s pitching staff endured their worst game of the season, allowing their highest run total and suffering their largest defeat. The Mets’ 15 runs marked their highest home total since scoring 17 against Philadelphia on September 25, 2016, and their biggest margin of victory since a 14-1 win at Baltimore in June 2021.

The fourth inning saw the first seven Mets batters reach base against rookie Simeon Woods Richardson (3-2), a former Mets prospect. New York sent 10 batters to the plate in that inning and added 11 more in a five-run sixth inning, pushing the score to 11-1.

Jose Buttó pitched three innings for his second save of the season, conceding a solo home run to Jeffers in the ninth. Jeffers had been denied a leadoff homer in the seventh by a spectacular catch from Taylor in right field.

**UP NEXT**

– **Twins:** Rookie right-hander David Festa (1-1, 8.16 ERA) will make his third major league start in the series’ middle game on Tuesday night. Festa, a New Jersey native, attended Seton Hall University.

– **Mets:** Left-hander Sean Manaea (6-4, 3.74 ERA) boasts a 5-1 record with a 2.48 ERA against the Twins.

(Photo courtesy of Twins/MLB)