NEW YORK (AP) — James McCann homered and drove in three runs against his former team to help power the Baltimore Orioles past the New York Mets 9-5 on Tuesday night.
Anthony Santander opened the scoring in the first inning with his 37th homer, a two-run shot off struggling Jose Quintana (6-9). Ramón Urías and Eloy Jiménez also had RBIs for the Orioles, who began the day a half-game behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East.
Dean Kremer (6-9) gave up one run over six innings for the second straight start. He permitted just two hits and struck out seven.
McCann, traded by the Mets to the Orioles following the 2022 season, had a sacrifice fly in the second and a two-run homer into the second deck in left field in the fourth. He is 5 for 9 with eight RBIs in 11 plate appearances over three games against New York since last year.
An error by shortstop Gunnar Henderson extended the Mets’ rally in the eighth, when they shaved a six-run deficit to 7-5. Brandon Nimmo hit an RBI double immediately before J.D. Martinez’s three-run homer to center field off Burch Smith.
Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle scored when the Mets made two throwing errors after Nimmo misplayed Henderson’s bloop single to left in the ninth.
Mark Vientos had a run-scoring double in the third for the Mets, who fell 2 1/2 games behind Atlanta for the final National League wild card. Vientos has a hit in all six games since moving to the No. 2 spot in the batting order last Thursday.
Quintana allowed seven runs and eight hits in five innings. The veteran left-hander is 0-3 with an 8.27 ERA in four starts this month, raising his season ERA from 3.89 to 4.57.
TRIPLE THE FUN
Colton Cowser had an unusual triple in the second. Cowser sent a drive to the warning track in left field, where Nimmo appeared to briefly make the catch as he banged into the wall before bobbling the ball twice and snagging it out of the air. Cowser stopped at third as Nimmo threw the ball to the infield, but the Orioles challenged and replay showed the ball hit the wall after it bounced out of Nimmo’s glove.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Zach Eflin (right shoulder inflammation), who had been scheduled to start Wednesday, was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Saturday. Manager Brandon Hyde said he hoped Eflin, who is 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, would only require a minimum stint on the IL. Eflin is the sixth Baltimore starter to be placed on the injured list this season. LHP Cade Povich was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. … LHP Keegan Akin was placed on the paternity list and RHP Dillon Tate was recalled from Norfolk.
Mets: Nimmo went 1 for 4 after missing Monday’s game with right shoulder discomfort. … RHP Dedniel Núñez (right pronator strain) began a rehab assignment and allowed one hit in a scoreless inning for Triple-A Syracuse.
UP NEXT
Mets LHP Sean Manaea (9-5, 3.46 ERA) will start Wednesday’s series finale against LHP Cole Irvin (6-5, 4.85).
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