Alonso Gives Mets 7-6 Walk-Off Win

The New York Mets defeated the Colorado Rockies for a second consecutive night by the score of 7-6 at Citi Field.

The Mets benefited once again from strong starting pitching, as Chris Bassitt pitched 7 2/3 innings while allowing four earned runs. Coming into tonight’s game, Bassitt has gone 4-0, while pitching to an ERA of 0.69 in 26 August innings.

Bassitt held the Rockies scoreless throughout five innings, behind two double plays and two strikeouts. The top of the sixth inning proved to be troublesome for Bassitt, as the Rockies were able to erase their 3-0 deficit. Wynton Bernard, the 31-year-old rookie, led off the inning with a single which was then followed by a Ryan McMahon walk. With two men on and nobody out, Brendan Rodgers doubled off the right-center field wall to bring the Rockies within one. C.J. Cron then singled to right field to knot the game at 3-3, after Rodgers had advanced to third on a Charlie Blackmon fly-out.

After the sixth inning, the game shifted from a pitcher’s duel to a boxing match. The Mets and Rockies both lost the lead twice in two innings behind poor bullpen performances.

The top of the eighth was too large for Mychal Givens, as the Mets trade deadline acquisition delivered the lead back to the Rockies. Only needing two outs to escape the inning, Givens loaded the bases by giving up a single to Randal Grichuk and hitting Jose Iglesias with a slider. Elias Diaz provided the exclamation point, driving a fastball the opposite way for a bases-clearing double. Coming into tonight, Givens had a staggering 1.731 WHIP and 39 ERA+ since joining the Mets.

The bottom of the eighth was not kind to Carlos Estevez as well. After easily recording the first two outs, a Ryan McMahon error and Jeff McNeil single prolonged the inning. Mark Canha then played hero again, doubling down the left field line to tie the game at 6-6.

Working for the second day in a row, Edwin Diaz set the stage for a Mets comeback by holding the Rockies scoreless in the top half of the ninth. Brandon Nimmo walked with one out and advanced to second after Daniel Bard hit Starling Marte. After Sam Hilliard initially saved the game with a diving catch, Pete Alonso walked it off with a ground ball single on the left side.

The Mets defeated the Rockies to record their 81st win of the season and sixth walk-off win of the year. With his RBI single tonight, Pete Alonso has now set the Mets single-season record for game-winning RBI at 25. The MLB record is currently set at 27, held by Joe Torre and Hank Aaron.

Player of the Game

Mark Canha was the player of the game for the Mets as he drove in three runs behind two extra base hits. Canha has been the Mets best hitter in August, batting to a slash line of .286/.397/.554. The Mets left fielder has also recorded 11 extra-base hits this month, matching his total extra-base hits for the first three months of the season.

On Deck

New York will attempt to win the series against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday evening at Citi Field.

David Peterson (6-3, 3.44 ERA) will face Kyle Freeland (7-8, 4.93 ERA)

Both southpaws will look to bounce back from shaky starts against division rivals. In Peterson’s last start, he gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched, in a 4-1 loss to the Phillies. Freeland also recorded a loss in his last start, allowing five earned runs to the Giants on August 21.

Saturday night’s game will begin at 7:10 p.m. EST on SNY or WCBS 880.