DETROIT (AP) — Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run homer and scored twice to help the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Wednesday.
Riley Greene gave Detroit a 3-1 lead with a two-run single in the fifth inning. The AL Central leaders had lost seven of nine, including the first two games of the series.
Pete Alonso had three hits for the Mets, including an RBI double. They finished a stretch of 16 games in 16 days with a 9-7 record.
New York began the day with a five-game lead over Cincinnati and San Francisco for the final National League wild card.
Carpenter walked and scored in the fifth, then homered off struggling reliever Ryan Helsley to make it 6-2 in the seventh.
Casey Mize (13-5) got the win, allowing one run and five hits in five innings.
Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Jake Rogers, but New York tied it in the third on Alonso’s run-scoring double.
Two walks gave the Tigers runners on first and second with two outs in the fifth. Gregory Soto replaced Clay Holmes (11-7) and threw a wild pitch before allowing Greene's two-run single.
Mark Vientos hit an RBI single for the Mets in the sixth, but they missed a chance at a big inning. With two runners aboard earlier in the frame, center fielder Javier Báez made a leaping catch to take away an extra-base hit from Brandon Nimmo.
Key moment
With the bases loaded in the sixth, Tigers reliever Tommy Kahnle preserved a 3-2 lead when he got Starling Marte to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Key stat
Juan Soto singled and walked for the Mets. He has reached base safely in 30 of his last 31 games.
Up next
Both teams are off Thursday. Prized prospect Jonah Tong (1-0, 1.80 ERA) makes his second major league start Friday night for the Mets in Cincinnati against All-Star lefty Andrew Abbott (8-5, 2.65). Detroit hosts the last-place Chicago White Sox.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Dave Hogg, The Associated Press
