Lindor and Torrens lead the streaking Mets past the Phillies again, 5-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor had three hits, including an RBI single, and the New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Tuesday night for their second six-game winning streak already this season.

Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez (2-1) was removed with left forearm soreness after laboring through two innings. The team said Sánchez will be evaluated further.

Mark Vientos delivered an early RBI double in his return to the lineup and Pete Alonso also had a run-scoring double for the Mets, who improved to 11-1 at home. They are tied for the best record in the majors at 17-7 overall and opened a four-game lead over the second-place Phillies in the NL East.

Luis Torrens spiked his bat in excitement after hitting a two-run single on an 0-2 pitch from reliever Orion Kerkering to make it 5-1 in the seventh.

New York will go for a three-game sweep of its NL East rival Wednesday in the first matchup between the teams since the Mets eliminated Philadelphia from the playoffs last October.

Griffin Canning (3-1) gave up seven hits in five innings but limited the Phillies to one run and won his third straight start. He struck out five and walked one.

Four relievers combined for four innings of one-hit ball to close it out for the Mets.

Kyle Schwarber drew a leadoff walk for the Phillies in the eighth, then inexplicably got doubled off first base on a routine fly to center fielder Tyrone Taylor.

Mets starters have gone 11 games without giving up a home run, the team's longest streak since April 2014. New York starters haven't yielded a longball in 12 home games this year, the longest stretch to begin a season in franchise history. Overall, the starters have served up only five dingers — fewest in the majors.

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (2-1, 3.73 ERA) faces his former team when the three-game series concludes with a Wednesday matinee. Wheeler is 5-5 with a 3.56 ERA in 15 career starts against the Mets. LHP David Peterson (1-1, 3.27) pitches for New York.

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New York Mets' Griffin Canning pitches during the first innting of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Luisangel Acuña, right, throws to first base after forcing out Philadelphia Phillies' Max Kepler during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Griffin Canning pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Mark Vientos (27) hits an RBI double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) beats a throw to first base by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tanner Banks for a single during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Luis Torrens hits a two-run single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Mark Vientos, left, slides past Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, right, to score on a single by Luis Torrens of a baseball game Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso celebrates after hitting an RBI double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.

Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after activists reported more than 500 have been killed — the vast majority of them demonstrators.

Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)