Mets bunch up homers to sweep Marlins in doublheader

Pete Alonso capped a three-homer seventh inning Monday night with a solo shot to left field for the red-hot New York Mets, who climbed over .500 for the first time in three months by storming back to beat the visiting Miami Marlins 5-4 to complete a doubleheader sweep. The Mets, who won the opener 6-2, have won four straight and have gone a baseball-best 16-6 since the All-Star break to improve to 57-56. They were a season-worst 11 games under .500 on July 12.

New York is one of three teams this season, along with the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants, to climb over .500 after being at least 10 games below that mark. The Marlins have lost four straight and six of seven.

Michael Conforto's two-run single in the first inning of the nightcap gave the Mets the lead before they made an out, but the Marlins scored four times against New York starter Walker Lockett. In the fourth, Harold Ramirez had an RBI single for Miami, and in the fifth, Bryan Holaday hit a leadoff homer and Curtis Granderson greeted reliever Robert Gsellman with a two-run double, with both runs charged to Lockett.

The Mets stranded runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth before finally breaking through against Jeff Brigham (1-1), the Marlins' second pitcher, in the seventh inning. J.D. Davis hit a leadoff homer, and after two were out, Conforto homered over the right-field foul pole. Alonso barely missed a homer on a foul ball, but a few pitches later, he hit a laser off the first row of seats in left field for his 35th home run. The gregarious rookie hopped, skipped and jumped immediately after reaching home plate.

The rally made a winner out of Jeurys Familia (3-1) who tossed a hitless seventh. Seth Lugo threw two perfect innings for his second save. Alonso, Conforto, and Davis had two hits apiece for the Mets, who announced during the game that second baseman Robinson Cano has a torn left hamstring. Cano was injured Sunday.

Brian Anderson had three hits for the Marlins, while Holaday and Granderson had two apiece. Lockett allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out four over 4 2/3 innings. Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara gave up two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings.

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