Astros score 5 in 11th to top Mets in series finale

NEW YORK — Considering what the Astros had to overcome Sunday — a long rain delay in the ninth inning, assembling seven pitchers in a bullpen game and losing star second baseman Jose Altuve to a seventh-inning ejection — their 10-5 victory in 11 innings over the Mets at Citi Field might have been their most satisfying victory of the season.

With their ninth victory in 10 games, the Astros surpassed the .500 mark (42-41) for the first time this season and moved to within 3 1/2 games of the Mariners, first in the American League West division . Houston, which was 10 games out of first place on June 18, posted the major leagues’ best record in June at 17-8.

“I never lost confidence in this group,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I know we were down, but we weren’t out. And I’m not surprised that we’re here. We will continue to fight to get to where I know where this team will get.

After a 2 hour, 47 minute rain layoff and with the game tied at the bottom of the ninth inning, the Astros opened the floodgates against the Mets and scored five times in the 11th inning. Rookie Joey Loperfido had a two-run single and Trey Cabbage, who started in place of the injured Kyle Tucker, added a two-run double.

“I think after a long rain delay to see that up and down the lineup, it’s a huge win,” said Loperfido, who entered the game as a pinch runner and played the last three innings at first base. “To get the series win on a Sunday the way we did it, it feels good. There is a great atmosphere here after the match, and we will continue like this.

The Astros are 35-22 since starting the season 7-19. Remarkably, they climbed the rankings without Tucker, who hit 19 home runs in 60 games when he fouled a ball off his shin on June 3 and has been out since, and with five starting pitchers on the injured list.

“It kind of shows that we’ve been through the season with some ups and downs,” said center fielder Jake Meyers, who got the go-ahead pitch in the 11th.

The Astros, using a bullpen game because they have only four healthy starting pitchers, got three hitless innings from starter Shawn Dubin and held the Mets hitless for five as Houston took a 4-0 lead. Despite the hot start, the Astros entered the eighth in a four-all tie after Seth Martinez (sixth inning) and Bryan Abreu (seventh) each allowed two runs.

Houston then used teammate closer Josh Hader after he warmed up for the ninth and didn’t pitch because of the delay.

“A bunch of heroes,” Espada said. “Our guys fought through that one. It started with Dubin, and he gave us the innings we needed, then got the ball to the bullpen. We had some big successes when we needed to, and I’m proud of that effort.

When the rain delay ended, Tayler Scott started the ninth and pitched a 1-2-3 inning before allowing the tying run in the 10th on a first-pitch double from Brandon Nimmo. He stranded Nimmo at third and watched the Astros blow him open moments later. Luis Contreras pitched a perfect 11th.

“The pressure was off a little bit,” Scott said. “All the fans were gone and coming back from a deficit, it didn’t feel like the ninth inning of a tie game. That helped me a little bit. Once you come back from the ninth inning and extra innings, the pressure started coming back.”

Altuve was ejected for the second time in his career after a ball he fouled with his foot was ruled live and he was thrown out at first base. He broke his helmet when he slammed it to the ground in frustration and was ejected for the first time since 2016. The ejection was much easier to take when so many of his teammates passed with runners in scoring position late in the game.

“It was huge,” Altuve said of the rally. “I think it’s not easy to go there after a rain delay and make things happen like they did. There were a lot of big swings and good shots, and Contreras at the end and Scott throwing the ball the way he did. It was a team effort today and I’m happy with the way we won this match.