Minneapolis, MN – John Buck hit a grand slam en route to homering in his fourth straight game, while David Wright had three hits with four RBI and two runs scored as the New York Mets thumped the Minnesota Twins, 16-5, in the opener of a three-game interleague series at a snowy Target Field.
Buck, who also scored twice, now shares the major league lead with six home runs and 19 RBI. He also became the first catcher in MLB history with six home runs through 10 games.
"I'm benefiting from last year when I tried too hard," Buck said. "Now I'm just going up there and trying to hit the ball solid and good things are happening."
Daniel Murphy went 4-for-5 with two doubles to go along with four RBI for the Mets, who saw starter Jon Niese (2-0) toss five innings and allow five runs -- four earned -- on five hits.
Marlon Byrd had two hits and two RBI in the win.
Ryan Doumit plated two runs and Justin Morneau had two hits with one RBI and a run scored for the Twins, who have lost four straight. Vance Worley (0-2) lasted just one-plus inning and gave up nine runs -- seven earned -- on seven hits and walked two in defeat.
After the Mets plated five runs in the first, Worley's struggles continued in the second. Jordany Valdespin and Murphy both hit singles to lead off the inning and Wright picked up his third RBI of the game with his own single scoring Valdespin to make it 6-2.
Worley then walked Ike Davis to load the bases and was replaced by lefty Pedro Hernandez. Buck made the Twins pay with a grand slam to deep left field on a full count offering to make it 10-2.
"I just didn't locate very well," Worley said. "If I threw down, the ball was too far down and the secondary stuff wasn't breaking very well. I pretty much got hit."
Morneau doubled in the gap to right field in the fifth scoring Aaron Hicks and moving Joe Mauer to third. Hicks reached safely after an infield error to start the inning and Mauer followed with a walk. Doumit made it 10-5 with a single up the middle scoring both Morneau and Mauer.
Murphy added to the visitors' cause in the seventh with a three-run double and Wright tripled to right field bringing home Murphy to make it 14-5. Valdespin and Murphy each knocked in a run in the ninth to cap the scoring.
New York's first four batters reached base safely in a five-run first inning. Wright drove in two runs with a double to deep left and in doing so he became the team's all-time leader in interleague RBI, passing Mike Piazza (89) with his 91st to make it 2-0.
After Davis walked, Buck hit into a fielder's choice and Wright scored on an error from Trevor Plouffe, with Davis ending up at third. Following a strikeout, Byrd singled through the right side scoring Davis and Buck to make it 5-0.
In the bottom of the first, Minnesota made it a 5-2 contest. Josh Willingham's fielders choice to short scored Hicks, who walked to lead off the frame. Two batters later, Plouffe singled to center to score Mauer.
Game Notes
New York had managed just one run in the first inning through its first nine games ... It was Buck's fifth career grand slam ... Mets catchers had just five total home runs last season ... Gabby Harnett (1925) and Sandy Alomar (1997) are the only other catchers to have hit five home runs through 10 games ... New York was 8-7 in interleague play last year ... Minnesota is now 7-6 all-time against the Mets ... Niese had gone 22 straight starts lasting at least six innings or more. That was the longest such streak in the majors.
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