TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Francisco Lindor broke up Bowden Francis鈥� no-hit bid with a tying homer leading off the ninth inning, Francisco Alvarez added a three-run shot and the New York Mets scored six times in their last at-bat to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Wednesday.
鈥淚t felt really good,鈥� Lindor said of his pivotal home run. 鈥淚t was one of those hits that I could tell the vibes in the dugout were lifted.鈥�
New York moved a game ahead of rival Atlanta for the final National League wild card when the Braves lost 5-1 at Washington.
With the crowd of 29,399 on their feet to start the ninth, Francis got ahead of Lindor 0-2 before the four-time All-Star drilled a 92 mph fastball 398 feet to right field for his 31st home run.
鈥淓verything was going his way until the last pitch he threw,鈥� Lindor said.
The homer came on Francis鈥� 111th pitch, only the second time he鈥檚 thrown more than 100.
鈥淲ith that many pitches, I felt like I had to empty the tank with heaters and let him put the ball in play,鈥� Francis said.
It was the second time in four starts Francis lost a no-hitter on a leadoff homer in the ninth 鈥� Taylor Ward connected off the right-hander for the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 24.
That made Francis the first pitcher to lose two no-hit bids in the ninth inning during one season since Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan with Texas in 1989.
鈥淚t sucks for him that it鈥檚 happened twice in the same fashion,鈥� Toronto manager John Schneider said.
Dave Stieb threw the only no-hitter in Blue Jays history at Cleveland on Sept. 2, 1990. Two years earlier, Stieb lost two no-hitters in the ninth.
Francis鈥� two recent close calls are the longest no-hit bids by a Blue Jays pitcher since Brandon Morrow tossed 8 2/3 hitless innings against Tampa Bay in August 2010.
Francis was selected AL pitcher of the month for August, when he went 4-1 with a 1.05 ERA. He struck out 39 and walked four in six appearances, five starts.
鈥淚 just can鈥檛 speak enough to how he鈥檚 evolved and how much he has taken from this opportunity,鈥� Schneider said.
Francis walked one, struck out one and twice hit a batter with a pitch.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 put much together,鈥� Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. 鈥淗e was on today. He鈥檚 been doing that the past few outings. Nothing overpowering, but just enough to miss barrels.鈥�
Lindor鈥檚 drive was New York鈥檚 first home run in the last four games, and the first by either team in the series.
鈥淗e just got us going,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淪pecial player, special person.鈥�
Sean Manaea struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits. Danny Young (4-0) got one out in relief to help the Mets win for the 11th time in 13 games.
Pinch-hitter Addison Barger had an RBI single off Ryne Stanek with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. George Springer followed with an infield single, but Edwin D铆az needed only one pitch to earn his 18th save in 24 chances.
Chad Green (4-6) replaced Francis and gave up an infield single to Jose Iglesias, who advanced to second on a throwing error. Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo walked to load the bases before Pete Alonso hit a sacrifice fly.
J.D. Martinez walked to load the bases a second time, and Starling Marte chased Green with a sacrifice fly.
G茅nesis Cabrera came on and gave up a first-pitch homer to Alvarez, the seventh of the season for the Mets catcher and first since Aug. 19.
The Mets have been no-hit eight times. Max Scherzer was the last pitcher to do it, with Washington on Oct. 3, 2015.
New York鈥檚 Harrison Bader opened the sixth with a drive to deep left field but Toronto鈥檚 Davis Schneider .
The Mets and Lindor on the anniversary of 9/11.
Lindor needed time when a wasp landed on his glove at shortstop in the bottom of the sixth. Second base umpire Stu Scheurwater helped out by whacking the wasp with his cap.
鈥淭hey were still out there,鈥� Lindor said. 鈥淚t was one of those where we were saying, 鈥楬opefully, it didn鈥檛 die.鈥� We didn鈥檛 want any more bugs to come around.鈥�
Davis Schneider drove in Toronto鈥檚 first run on a fielder鈥檚 choice in the fourth.
TRAINER鈥橲 ROOM
Mets RHP Paul Blackburn returned to New York to get imaging on his sore lower back, Mendoza said.
UP NEXT
Mets: LHP Jose Quintana (8-9, 4.09 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday as New York visits Philadelphia for the opener of a three-game series.
Blue Jays: Toronto hosts St. Louis in a three-game series beginning Friday.
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AP MLB:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
