Alonso, Lindor spark Mets to sixth-straight win

It’s nit-picking, for sure. But the two things that the Mets could have stood to improve upon after they went 7-3 in the first 10 games of the season going into Tuesday were length from the starting pitchers and punch from the offense.

Consider one mission accomplished: The Mets tied their high run total for the season en route to their sixth straight win, a 10-5 pasting of the Marlins before an announced crowd of 28,861 at frigid, windswept Citi Field.

Clay Holmes was unhittable at times, as he struck out a career-best 10 in his seventh career start. His previous high was seven.

But the converted reliever only lasted 5 1/3 innings, and for once the previously impenetrable Mets bullpen allowed two inherited runners to score, making Holmes’ final line look less impressive than the stuff he showed (and allowing the Marlins to briefly make a game of it). Holmes struck out the side in the fourth on 10 pitches, for example.

Holmes (1-1, 4.30 ERA), who was charged with four runs, picked up his second career victory as a starter and first since 2018. He allowed five hits and walked three.

Mets starters are averaging a touch over five innings per game. The relievers went into Tuesday with a 1.15 ERA and had stranded 18 of 20 inherited runners.

Huascar Brazoban relieved Holmes with the Mets leading 6-2 in the sixth and runners on second and third. Both runners eventually came home on a run-scoring grounder to first by Liam Hicks and a two-run homer by Derek Hill.

It was the first home run allowed by a Mets reliever this season. And it was suddenly 6-5.

The Mets, who snapped a 2-2 tie with a four-spot in the fifth on a two-run double by Brandon Nimmo and two-run single by Starling Marte, added three in the sixth after the Marlins had pulled to within a run. And the Mets easily could have had a six-run inning if not for a remarkable defensive play by Hill in center.

Pete Alonso made it 9-5 with a three-run double after Miami manager Clayton McCullough intentionally walked Juan Soto with runners on first and third.

The Mets reloaded the bases with two outs, and Tyrone Taylor sent a bid for a bases-clearing extra base hit to deep left-center. Hill caught it with a full dive on the warning track to rob Taylor of three RBIs.

Francisco Lindor made it 10-5 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. It was Lindor who got things started for the Mets in the first with his first homer of the season (and 21st as a leadoff man) after the Marlins had touched Holmes for two runs in the top half on a two-run single by Hicks.

Brazoban, A.J. Minter, Danny Young and Reed Garrett combined for shutout ball over the final three innings.

On the mend. Francisco Alvarez (fractured left hamate bone) will begin a rebab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie on Wednesday. Jeff McNeil (strained right oblique) was set to report to Port St. Lucie as well for extended spring training and will begin a rehab assignment later this week.