NEW YORK — J.P. Crawford led off the ninth inning with a tiebreaking homer and the Seattle Mariners beat the New York Mets 8-7 on Saturday night to extend their small lead in the AL West.
Crawford hit the second pitch from Adam Ottavino (1-5) into the right-field seats for the Mariners, who squandered a four-run lead but still improved to 39-16 since July 1 — the best record in the majors during that span.
Seattle moved a game ahead of second-place Houston, which lost 5-4 to the New York Yankees.
Justin Topa (5-4) got the final four outs for Seattle. He gave up two hits in the ninth, but Daniel Vogelbach was thrown out trying to stretch a leadoff single and Topa retired Francisco Álvarez on a comebacker with a runner at first.
Teoscar Hernandez homered and finished with three RBIs. Dominic Canzone delivered his first career pinch-hit homer, a two-run drive in the sixth. Julio Rodríguez hit an RBI triple in the second and Sam Haggerty built a run in the sixth by walking, stealing two bases and scoring on an error.
Jeff McNeil finished a homer shy of the cycle for the Mets and tied the game with a run-scoring triple in the eighth. DJ Stewart stayed hot with a three-run shot — his ninth homer in the last 15 games — while Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos also went deep.
Mets rookie Ronny Mauricio, recalled from the minors Friday, had his second straight two-hit game.
Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo allowed five runs and struck out a season-low two in five-plus innings, snapping a streak of eight straight starts in which he lasted at least six innings.
David Peterson gave up four runs in four-plus innings for the Mets.
MAGIC MAN
Mauricio became the seventh Mets player to begin his career with consecutive multi-hit games and the first to do it since Josh Thole in September 2009.
METS MOVES
New York recalled RHP Grant Hartwig from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned RHP Denyi Reyes to the same affiliate. The Mets also claimed RHP Peyton Battenfield off waivers from Cleveland and optioned him to Syracuse. Battenfield was 0-4 with a 5.19 ERA in seven games (six starts) this season for the Guardians.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: 1B Ty France left the game immediately after being hit on the right elbow by Hartwig's pitch leading off the sixth. He has a bruised elbow.
Mets: Vientos appeared to get hurt running the bases in the seventh and was replaced by Jonathan Araúz in the top of the eighth. … RHP Edwin Díaz (right patellar tendon) threw another bullpen, his fourth of the homestand.
UP NEXT
A nine-game homestand against AL West opponents concludes Sunday for the Mets, who will send RHP Tylor Megill (7-7, 5.29 ERA) to the mound against Mariners RHP George Kirby (10-8, 3.28). Megill is facing Seattle for the first time. Kirby, who grew up a little more than 20 miles from Citi Field, hasn’t started since Aug. 23 due to an illness.
