NEW YORK — Pete Alonso’s 10th-inning leadoff, walk-off, two-run homer gave the Mets a 7-6 victory over the Cardinals on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field.
The Mets were trailing 6-5 entering the bottom of the 10th with the extra-inning ghost runner on second when Alonso unloaded on the no-doubt game-winner to left off St. Louis closer Giovanny Gallegos.
Alonso has 10 home runs and leads the majors with 36 RBIs. It was his third career walk-off homer.
On the day the Mets learned they have lost Max Scherzer for six to eight weeks because of an oblique injury, they overcame a blown save in the ninth to take three of four from St. Louis.
The Mets (26-14) were one out from victory in the ninth when St. Louis tied the game on an infield single by Paul Goldschmidt off Edwin Diaz that ticked off the glove of third baseman Eduardo Escobar.
St. Louis then used its ghost runner to take the lead in the 10th on an Albert Pujols double-play grounder.
Chris Bassitt, the last man standing from the Mets’ projected rotation Big Three, was charged with four runs in 6 1/3 innings on the day the Mets learned they have lost Scherzer for and extended period of time because of an oblique strain he suffered on Wednesday night.
Jacob deGrom has yet to throw a pitch this season, of course.
Jeff McNeil hit a tie-breaking, two-run single in the fifth inning The Mets were trailing 3-2 entering the fifth. Brandon Nimmo drove in the tying run with a grounder to first for the second out of the inning. But the Mets weren’t done.
Mark Canha singled to knock out starter Dakota Hudson. Francisco Lindor singled off reliever Nick Wittgren and Alonso walked on a 3-and-0 slider that barely missed hitting him in the head as Alonso hit the dirt.
McNeil followed with a line drive to center that eluded the sliding Harrison Bader for a two-run single and a 5-3 lead.
Bassitt left with runners on first and third and one out in the seventh. Drew Smith came in to face Goldschmidt, who had hit a solo homer in the third.
Goldschmidt lofted a deep fly ball into the leftfield corner. McNeil slightly overran the ball, but caught it with a leap in the sliver of foul territory between the foul line and the fence. The runner scored from third to make it 5-4, but McNeil threw out Brandon Donovan trying to tag and go to second, with Luis Guillorme blocking the bag with his foot to keep Donovan from reaching the base.
Bader led off the ninth against Diaz with an infield single and stole second before moving to third on a groundout. With the infield in, Diaz struck out Tommy Edman looking at a 101-mile-per-hour fastball for the second out before walking Donovan to bring up the red-hot Goldschmidt.
Goldschmidt hit a slow grounder to the left of Escobar, who booted it and then kicked the ball into the outfield as the tying run scored. It was scored as a base hit and error allowing the second runner to get to third. Diaz, who blew his second save opportunity in 11 chances, had converted eight in a row.
Diaz then walked Nolan Arenado to load the bases before striking out Juan Yepez to send the game to the bottom of the ninth tied at 5.
