MLB roundup: Mets battle past Nats in 10th for 11th walk-off win

Starling Marte (35) delivered a decisive single with one out in the 10th inning, leading the New York Mets to a 2-1 triumph over the visiting Washington Nationals on Monday.

Following an intentional walk to Tyrone Taylor at the start of the inning, Francisco Alvarez hit a fly ball that advanced pinch runner Harrison Bader, who replaced automatic runner Mark Vientos, to second base. Just five pitches later, Marte secured the victory by driving a 3-1 fastball from Jacob Barnes (8-3) into left field, allowing Bader to score easily.

Marte's timely hit prevented the Mets (82-68) from suffering their third consecutive loss, and he was subsequently celebrated by his teammates at second base.

This marked the Mets' 11th walk-off win of the season, occurring on a night when Francisco Lindor was sidelined due to a lower back injury. Meanwhile, the Braves (81-69) fell to the Dodgers, granting New York a one-game advantage over Atlanta in the competition for the third National League wild-card position.

Washington's starting pitcher Jake Irvin performed admirably, conceding only one run on four hits over 7 1/3 innings, while striking out five, walking one, and recording 11 groundball outs. Additionally, Washington's Jose Tena, who has reached base safely in 12 consecutive games, contributed an RBI single in the fourth inning.

Guardians 4, Twins 3
Rookie Kyle Manzardo hit a pivotal two-run homer in the eighth inning, propelling Cleveland to a comeback victory against the visiting Minnesota Twins.

The Guardians found themselves trailing 3-0 after three innings and received only 2 2/3 innings from starter Matthew Boyd. However, a collective effort from five relievers limited the Twins to just three hits for the remainder of the game, allowing the Guardians to gradually close the gap and ultimately prevail. Angel Martinez led the Cleveland offense with three hits and an RBI.

Minnesota reliever Griffin Jax (4-5) managed to escape a bases-loaded situation in the seventh inning while the Twins were ahead 3-2, but the Guardians capitalized on their opportunity in the following inning. Starter Pablo Lopez allowed eight hits and issued two walks but surrendered only two runs over 6 1/3 innings for the Twins, who currently hold the American League's third and final wild-card spot despite struggling with a 9-18 record. Lopez recorded four strikeouts.

Cardinals 4, Pirates 0
Andre Pallante delivered an impressive performance, yielding only four hits across seven innings as the St. Louis Cardinals secured a shutout victory against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Pallante (7-8) achieved a career-high of nine strikeouts while issuing one walk, helping the Cardinals end a three-game losing streak. Andrew Kittredge contributed with a flawless eighth inning, followed by Ryan Fernandez, who also completed a perfect ninth inning to conclude the first game of a four-game series.

For the Pirates, Paul Skenes (10-3) permitted one run on four hits over six innings, marking their third loss in four games. Skenes recorded seven strikeouts and one walk, reducing his ERA to 2.07. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh reliever Kyle Nicolas had to leave the game due to injury in the eighth inning after walking the only batter he faced.

Brewers 6, Phillies 2
William Contreras played a pivotal role by driving in two runs with a double, while Aaron Civale limited the Philadelphia Phillies to one run over five-plus innings, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to victory in the first game of a three-game series between division leaders.

Milwaukee's magic number to secure the National League Central title has now decreased to two. Civale (7-8) departed after allowing back-to-back singles to Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner at the start of the sixth inning. He recorded one walk and struck out six during his outing. Colin Rea, who has made 25 starts this season, maintained a scoreless performance for the final 2 2/3 innings, earning his first career save.

The Philadelphia Phillies maintain an eight-game lead in the NL East over the New York Mets and are one game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the National League. Philadelphia's starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (12-7) allowed three runs on four hits in five innings.