Jose Quintana pitched seven dominant innings and the Mets hit a trio of three-run homers as New York pounded the host Philadelphia Phillies 11-3 on Friday.
Francisco Alvarez and Brandon Nimmo each delivered a three-run blast in the Mets’ six-run fifth inning, which was more than enough offense for Quintana (9-9).
The left-hander gave up just three hits without a walk and struck out four to improve to 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA over his last four starts for New York.
Francisco Lindor added an RBI double before leaving with lower back soreness for the Mets (81-66), who moved within seven games of the first-place Phillies (88-59) in the National League East. Philadelphia avoided a shutout when Brandon Marsh clubbed a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth.
The teams will face off twice more this weekend and then four times in New York, beginning next Thursday.
After not allowing a hit through the first four innings, Aaron Nola (12-8) faltered in the fifth. He gave up back-to-back singles to open the inning before Alvarez hit an 0-1 curveball off the foul pole in left field to put the visitors ahead 3-0.
Alvarez’s eighth homer was followed four batters later by Nimmo’s 19th home run – his first since Aug. 18. Nimmo’s blast came on another Nola curve, this one landing in the first row of seats in right field.
Lindor’s run-scoring double extended the lead to 7-0 in the sixth, and Harrison Bader delivered a three-run blast off Tyler Gilbert in the eighth. Infielder Kody Clemens pitched the ninth for Philadelphia, allowing Pete Alonso’s 32nd homer.
The Phillies’ bats were quiet until Marsh’s blast in the ninth.
Bryce Harper doubled with two outs in the first before Nick Castellanos grounded out. Johan Rojas reached on an infield single in the third but was caught stealing second. In the sixth, Kyle Schwarber was left stranded after reaching on a two-out infield single.
Nola was charged with six runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven. His most recent start against the Mets was a four-hit shutout on May 14.
