Mets fend off pesky As thanks to Pete Alonsos latest big night

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The Mets’ strength as a lineup lies in a grind-out approach that extends at-bats and forces opposing pitchers to work for outs.Friday night was something of a master clinic by the Mets in that regard.

With Pete Alonso as the ringleader, the A’s ended up throwing 210 pitches.The Mets threw 156.Alonso turned his extended at-bats into production with a three-RBI performance that included a home run late in the Mets’ 7-6 victory at Sutter Health Park.Alonso, who had an eight-pitch plate appearance earlier in the game, homered on the seventh pitch of his at-bat against Jose Leclerc in the eighth.

The slugging first baseman boosted his .OPS through 13 games to a robust 1.260.Edwin Diaz survived a rocky ninth inning in which he allowed two runs on two walks and a double for the save.With the tying run on second base, he retired Jacob Wilson to end it.Griffin Canning was sharp early but couldn’t get through the sixth and was removed after allowing three runs in the inning.

Overall, the right-hander allowed four earned runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 5 ¹/₃ innings.David Peterson remains the only Mets pitcher to complete six innings in a start this season.Brandon Nimmo homered to lead off the second for the game’s first run.

The blast was Nimmo’s third this season.The Mets weren’t finished in the inning.

Luisangel Acuña doubled, and Luis Torrens — back in the starting lineup after missing five straight starts with a forearm contusion — stroked an RBI double that extended the Mets’ lead to 2-0.But the Mets missed an opportunity in the third, after Soto reached on Tyler Soderstrom’s fielding error and Alonso was plunked.JP Sears retired the next three batters, with Lawrence Butler’s sliding catch in right field as he crossed the foul line ending the inning.The A’s pulled within 2-1 in the second on Miguel Andújar’s RBI single.

Gio Urshela followed with a single, but Nimmo’s leaping...