Red Sox hit 4 HR off Scherzer to win nightcap 8-6 and split with Mets. NY won day game 5-4

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox rookie Triston Casas never doubted himself, and neither did manager Alex Cora.

“He’s in a great place,” Cora said after Casas had four hits in a doubleheader, hitting two home runs off Max Scherzer in the night game to help the Red Sox beat the Mets 8-6 and salvage a split. “I know a lot of people were down on him early on, but this is the big leagues. You don’t come here and dominate.”

A first-round draft pick in 2018, Casas batted .194 as a September callup last season and was still batting below .200 this year on June 13. Since then, he is hitting .341 with seven homers and 16 RBIs in 27 games.

“He’s really coming into his own,” Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (6-2) said. “It’s fun to watch.”

Casas had his first career multi-homer game, and Yu Chang and Jarren Duran also homered off Scherzer (8-4); it’s the first time the three-time Cy Young winner has allowed four homers in an outing since his 2021 season debut.

Masataka Yoshida had three hits in the night game, and Justin Turner’ homered to give the Red Sox an 8-3 lead. Pete Alonso had four hits on the day, including a ninth-inning triple in the night game as New York scored three to cut the deficit to 8-6 before Kenley Jansen got pinch hitter Daniel Vogelbach on a popup against the side wall in left to snap Boston’s three-game losing streak and earn his 21st save.

Brandon Nimmo and Vogelbach each hit a two-run homer for the Mets before the rains came on Friday night, when the series opener was suspended in the fourth inning. After they picked things up there on Saturday afternoon, the teams traded runs and the New York held on to take the day game 5-4 for its fourth win in five games.

A healthy portion of the two sellout crowds was rooting for the visitors, trying to drown out the “Let’s Go Red Sox!” chants with shouts of “Let’s Go Mets!” Unable to settle things, both sides joined together for a familiar chant razzing the last-place Yankees.

They saw Boston open a 2-0 lead when Duran and Casas led off the first and second innings with homers. The Mets took the lead when Jeff McNeil hit a three-run, Little League homer, coming around to score on a single when Red Sox catcher Jorge Alfaro threw a ball into deep center field.

With runners on second and third, McNeil singled to score both runners, and then headed for second when Duran missed the cutoff man on a throw home. Alfaro grabbed the throw at the plate and then sailed one past second and into center, where it eluded Duran and rolled toward the warning track. McNeil scored easily.

NOT QUITE A FULL DOUBLEHEADER

Friday night’s game was suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning when torrential rains began with one out, a 1-2 count on Alex Verdugo and the Mets leading 4-3. New York made it 5-3 after the game resumed when Alonso doubled and scored on Brett Baty’s single. Boston cut the deficit to 5-4 when Casas tripled on a ball that got past right fielder Mark Canha, then scored on a sacrifice fly.

Grant Hartwig (3-1) started the resumed game and pitched two scoreless innings for the win before David Robertson pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Friday night starter Kutter Crawford (4-5) took the loss for Boston.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: 2B Luis Guillorme limped off the field and left the first game after stumbling backwards while trying to field Rafael Devers’ hard grounder in the sixth. He was placed on the injured list, and infielder Danny Mendick was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to replace him.

Red Sox: Placed RHP Brayan Bello on the paternity list.

UP NEXT

Carlos Carrasco (3-3) was scheduled to start Sunday’s finale for the Mets. LHP Brennan Bernardino will start for the Red Sox.

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