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New York Mets top Baltimore Orioles in ninth for sixth straight win

May 11, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Jonathan Villar (R) scores a run ahead of the tag of Baltimore Orioles catcher Pedro Severino (L) on a hit by Mets pinch hitter Patrick Mazeika (not pictured) during the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie third-string catcher Patrick Mazeika delivered his second unusual walk-off RBI of the homestand Tuesday night as the New York Mets beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2.

Jonathan Villar beat the throw home on Mazeika’s grounder to first to score the winning run and give the Mets their sixth straight win.

The Orioles have lost four of five.

Kevin Pillar almost tied the game leading off the ninth against Cesar Valdez (2-1), but his fly ball down the left-field line hooked just foul. Pillar battled Valdez for seven pitches before singling under the glove of third baseman Maikel Franco.

Villar followed with a single before James McCann struck out. Dominic Smith tied the game with an RBI single to right past a diving Austin Hays.

Mazeika, the last batter on the Mets’ bench, battled Valdez for seven pitches before grounding to first. Villar, a former stolen-base champion who played with the Orioles in 2018-2019, raced home and slid in ahead of the throw.

Mazeika’s dribbler in front of the mound scored the winning run Friday in a 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has three RBIs in four big-league plate appearances.

The rally made a winner of Jeurys Familia (1-0), who threw a scoreless ninth, and cost Orioles starter John Means the win in his first start following his no-hitter last Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners.

Means’ bid for a second straight no-hitter lasted just four pitches before Jeff McNeil laced a clean leadoff single. The southpaw surrendered six hits, walked none and struck out three as he lowered his ERA to an American League-leading 1.21.

He also became the first pitcher to not allow a run in his first start following a no-hitter since Edinson Volquez tossed seven scoreless innings for the Miami Marlins on June 8, 2017.

The Orioles went ahead in the seventh when Pat Valaika, pinch-hitting for Means, lofted a sacrifice fly. Freddy Galvis added a two-out RBI bunt single in the eighth before the Mets began coming back in the eighth on an RBI single by Michael Conforto.

Mets starter Marcus Stroman allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five over 6 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

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