Pete Alonso, Mets torch Athletics to win series

Pete Alonso had four hits, five RBIs and three runs in support of Max Scherzer's impressive six-inning performance Sunday afternoon, helping the visiting New York Mets crush the Oakland Athletics 13-4 to take two of three in the interleague series.

Francisco Lindor nearly matched Alonso with three hits, three RBIs and three runs in a 19-hit attack as the Mets (97-57) retained a 1 1/2-game lead over the Atlanta Braves atop the National League East.

En route to the eighth win in their last 10 games, the Mets gave Scherzer (11-4) a big early cushion with one run in the second, two in the third and four in the fourth. Eduardo Escobar's two-run single accounted for the third-inning tallies, before a two-RBI double by Lindor and a two-run home run by Alonso broke the game open at 7-0 in the fourth.

The homer was Alonso's 39th of the season.

A's starter JP Sears (6-3) couldn't make it out of the fourth, charged with six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two for the A's (56-97).

Pitching in Oakland in the regular season for the first time since May 2014, Scherzer coasted, allowing one run and four hits. He walked one and struck out seven.

Oakland's lone run off Scherzer came on Seth Brown's 25th home run of the season leading off the fourth.

The Mets padded their advantage with five more in the eighth, with Alonso capping his five-RBI day with a bases-clearing double. New York then added one in the ninth to equal a season-high in runs.

Alonso tied his season highs in runs, hits and RBIs. The three runs tied a career high, which he'd recorded five times previously. The four hits and five RBIs each missed career highs by one.

The Mets totaled 26 runs in the three-game series.

Escobar chipped in with three hits and two RBIs, Brandon Nimmo with two hits and three runs, Mark Canha with two hits and two runs, and Tyler Naquin and Tomas Nido with two hits apiece.

Conner Capel belted a three-run homer, his third of the season, in the last of the ninth to complete the scoring for Oakland, which completed a 3-3 homestand against the Seattle Mariners and Mets.