Francisco Lindor drove in a career-high-tying seven runs with a grand slam and a bases-clearing double, sending the New York Mets to a 17-6 romp over the host Oakland Athletics in the opener of an interleague series on Friday.
Starling Marte drove in three runs and Brandon Nimmo scored three times for the Mets, who scored six times in both the second and fifth innings while posting the highest run total in a major league game this year.
The big lead seemingly set the stage for New York starter Kodai Senga to earn his third straight win.
However, the right-hander couldn't complete the required five innings. He was pulled two outs into the fifth after having served up a solo home run to Aledmys Diaz, his first of the season, before walking Conner Capel to drive his pitch count to 96. The Mets were up 12-4 at the time.
Stephen Nogosek got the final out of the fifth and two more in the sixth, but not before Brent Rooker belted his fourth homer of the season -- all in the last three days -- to get Oakland within 13-5.
Dennis Santana (1-0) finished the fifth, completed the sixth and seventh, and was rewarded with the win, New York's second straight.
Senga was charged with four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out seven.
Lindor's grand slam, the sixth of his career, capped New York's six-run second off A's starter James Kaprielian (0-2). Nimmo and Marte had opened the Mets' scoring in the inning with bases-loaded walks.
A two-run Shea Langeliers homer, his third of the year, got Oakland within 6-3 before the Mets' second six-run eruption. Again, Nimmo (hit by pitch) and Marte (walk) produced runs without getting hits, and once again the bases were loaded for Lindor, who this time doubled to left.
The seven RBIs equaled the number Lindor had in his previous career-best effort for the Cleveland Guardians against the Kansas City Royals on July 2, 2018. The homer was his third of the season.
Kaprielian was charged with six runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked seven and struck out four.
The Mets added four runs in the ninth, an inning that ended with Oakland backup catcher Carlos Perez recording the final two outs but also issued Athletics' 17th walk of the night.
Nimmo, Marte, Pete Alonso and Luis Guillorme joined Lindor with two hits apiece for the Mets.
Langeliers also had a double, a single and two runs for the A's, while Diaz, Rooker, Capel and Esteury Ruiz had two hits each. In losing for the eighth time in its last nine games, Oakland out-hit the visitors 13-11 and out-homered them 3-1.
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