Gibson
By DAVID GINSBURG
Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander homered, Greenfield’s Kyle Gibson pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to earn his 100th win and the surging Baltimore Orioles strengthened their position atop the AL East by beating the New York Mets 7-3 on Saturday night.
With their seventh victory in nine games, the Orioles moved a season-high three games ahead of second-place Tampa Bay and improved their record to an AL-best 69-42.
Gibson (11-6) gave up three runs, struck out nine and walked one. Over 11 seasons with Minnesota, Texas, Philadelphia and Baltimore, the 35-year-old righty is 100-97 in 291 games.
This year, however, is unlike any other.
“This is a really fun team,” Gibson said. “This team is different than any I’ve been on, with so many young guys that are so good at this game.”
Gibson is tied for the major league lead in games started with 24 and is tied for fifth in the majors in wins with 11. His 140 innings pitched ranks sixth.
The 22-year-old Henderson hit a two-run drive in the first inning and Gibson never relinquished the lead with help from an offense that tallied seven extra-base hits.
“I just want us to play well the rest of the way,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Just one foot in front of another and taking it day to day.”
It was another frustrating night for Mets manager Buck Showalter in his return to Baltimore, where he managed the Orioles from 2010-18. After enduring New York’s 10-3 loss on Friday night, Showalter watched helplessly as the sinking Mets absorbed their fifth straight defeat. They fell 10 games under .500, matching a season worst.
“When we’re on top of our game, we can give people trouble,” Showalter said. “We haven’t been.”
New York’s Jeff McNeil hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and added an RBI single in the sixth. But that wasn’t enough punch for the Mets, who have been outscored 37-14 during their current skid.
“We got a few people on, but not nearly enough,” Showalter said. “We had a lot of at-bats that weren’t as competitive as they should be.”
He attributed that to Gibson and the Baltimore bullpen.
