ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a leadoff homer and later connected for a two-run shot as the Mets completed a three-game sweep by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6 on Thursday.
Jason Bay also homered and Lucas Duda drove in three runs for the Mets, who had been swept in a three-game series by the Yankees last weekend.
The Mets outscored Tampa Bay 29-9 in this series.
Johan Santana (4-3) allowed four runs and six hits over five-plus innings. Frank Francisco struck out Ben Zobrist with the bases loaded on a 3-2 pitch to end it.
Nieuwenhuis began the afternoon with a home run off Jeremy Hellickson (4-3). Nieuwenhuis homered again during a four-run fourth, helping the Mets take an 8-4 lead. It was his first career multihomer game.
AP
Kirk Nieuwenhuis gets congratulations after hitting the first of his two home runs in the Mets' 9-6 win over the Rays.
Hellickson gave up a career-high eight runs and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings. The AL Rookie of the Year, 0-3 over his last five starts, has allowed more than three earned runs in just five of 46 career starts.
Jon Rauch replaced Santana with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth and worked out of the jam by striking out Sean Rodriguez and pinch-hitter Jose Labaton, and then getting a grounder from Elliot Johnson.
Santana made his second start since the left-hander held St. Louis hitless on June 1, the first no-hitter in the Mets' 51-year history. He allowed six runs and seven hits - including four homers - in a 9-1 loss to the Yankees last Friday.
Desmond Jennings cut the Rays' deficit to 9-5 with an RBI single off Miguel Batista with one out in the ninth.
Francisco got the final two outs for his 16th save. After allowing a run-scoring grounder to Carlos Pena, the Mets closer fanned Zobrist.
Duda had a sacrifice fly and Ike Davis drove in run with a single as the Mets went up 4-3 in the third. Duda also had a two-run double that chased Hellickson in the fourth.
Tampa Bay took a 3-2 lead during the second when Matt Joyce hit a two-run double and Johnson had an RBI single. Zobrist's RBI double in the third tied it at 4.
Bay, who had been 1 for 21 since returning from a rib injury, gave the Mets a 2-0 advantage on solo home run in the second.
Davis added a run-scoring single in the ninth, giving him seven RBIs over his last four games.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Tampa Bay Rays, the Mets, Jeremy Hellickson, Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay, ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nieuwenhuis, Lucas Duda, Mets, Frank Francisco, the Yankees
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