The Mets (25-30) evened their series against Tampa Bay (36-20) with a 5-2 triumph over the Rays on Tuesday night at Citi Field. 

Pete Alonso contributed greatly to the win. He went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk in his most productive night in weeks, after going just 12-for-66 in the month of September. He drove in three of five runs for New York in what would be the deciding factor of the evening. 

Seth Lugo took home the win after allowing just one earned run over six and 2/3 innings. The outing was his longest and most efficient of the season, with 95 pitches thrown-66 for strikes.

Not yet mathematically eliminated, the Mets are keeping their postseason aspirations alive, as they hang on by a thread in an attempt to clinch a far-off wild card berth. With the Phillies loss on Tuesday, New York is now 2.5 games back of a playoff spot with just five games to play.(Box Score)

ON THE MOUND

Seth Lugo took the mound for New York and tossed a 1-2-3 opening frame. His only earned run surrendered was on a solo home run by Willy Adames in the second. 

He pitched efficiently, giving up a base hit to Yoshi Tsutsugo in the third, a walk to Brett Phillips in the fifth, and a single to Joey Wendle in the seventh but otherwise stayed out of trouble. 

Lugo was lifted for Justin Wilson in the seventh with Wendle on second, and Adames on first after reaching on a fielding error by Todd Frazier. He had his longest outing of the season with six ⅔ innings and 95 pitches thrown. The 30-year-old right-hander gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits with a walk and seven Ks. He lowered his ERA to a 3.82  and improved to (3-3) on the year. 

Wilson entered in relief with the tying runs on base. With first and second and one out, the lefty allowed double-steals to Wendle and Adames to take the double play out of order. Then, Kevin Kiermaier grounded out, reaching on a fielder’s choice but New York saved a run with a one-hopper caught by Todd Frazier to get Wendle out at home. Pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe replaced Brett Phillips to bat with two outs, and before he could put a ball into play Adames scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. With the tying run at second with two outs, Wilson struck out Renfroe with his cutter to limit the damage and keep New York’s lead intact.

Chasen Shreve struck out the side in the eighth. 

Edwin Diaz took over on the bump for the ninth and preserved the 5-2 New York lead. He gave up a two-out base hit to Wendle and recorded one strikeout in earning his fifth save of the year.

In total, New York notched ten hits with three homers and three walks.

J.D. Davis drew a walk in the first for the Mets’ first baserunner. 

New York got one back in the bottom of the second inning after the Rays took a 1-0 lead when Robinson Cano knocked a leadoff solo home run to even it out. The homer marked Cano’s 10th of the season- and the 16th straight year he has reached this feat. Then Pete Alonso walked, and reached second after a two-out wild pitch from Blake Snell. Robinson Chirinos drew a walk for first and second, and Jeff McNeil lined a ball to center field, but Kevin Kiemaier threw out Alonso at home plate to keep the game at a tie. 

New York took the lead on a Pete Alonso solo homer in the fourth. The club got two more on with singles from Chirinos and Jeff McNeil in the fifth, but both were picked off on the basepaths. 

Dominic Smith got the offense going again the the sixth with a leadoff double, moving to third on a Cano groundout. Then with two outs, Alonso knocked in another run as he singled on a sharp line drive to left to send Smith in and put the Mets ahead, 3-2.

An unlikely hero in former-Ray Guillermo Heredia got his first hit as a Met for a homer to tack on another run for New York in the seventh. In the following inning, the club took the final 5-2 lead after Dominic Smith once again reached in the leadoff spot, this time after being hit by a pitch, and back-to-back singles by Frazier and Cano loaded the bases for Alonso. With one out, the first baseman grounded into a force out to send in Smith and tack on another insurance run for the Metsies. 

ON DECK

The Mets look to take the series against the Rays tomorrow evening at Citi Field. Tyler Glasnow (4-1, 4.21 ERA) will face off with Michael Wacha (1-3, 6.75 ERA) in the last of the three-game series. 

In his last start against the Orioles, Glasnow earned the win after allowing one run over five innings. He allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out ten over that span.

Wacha gave up one run on five hits over four innings in his last outing against the Phillies. The right-hander struck out three in the Mets win. 

First pitch in Queens will be at 7:10 PM on September 23rd. The game will be televised by SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880-AM.