Alonso and McNeil both homer twice as Mets rout Rockies 13-5 for season sweep

DENVER (AP) — Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil each hit two of New York's six home runs, and the Mets routed Colorado 13-5 on Sunday to sweep the major league-worst Rockies for the second time in a week.

Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez also went deep for the Mets, who completed a 5-2 trip and finished 6-0 against Colorado (12-53) this season. They moved a season-best 18 games over .500 at 42-24 and opened a 4 1/2-game lead in the NL East over skidding Philadelphia.

Juan Soto went 3 for 3 with three walks and three runs on a perfect day at the plate, reaching base six times in a game for the first time in his career.

Alonso launched a pair of two-run shots for his 23rd multihomer game, breaking a tie with Darryl Strawberry for the most in Mets history.

The first baseman has 243 career homers, passing David Wright for second place in franchise annals — nine behind Strawberry.

McNeil connected leading off the second inning and added a three-run shot in the fourth for his third career multihomer game. Alonso went deep in the third and eighth to give him 17 homers and 61 RBIs this year.

The previous time New York hit six home runs in a game was 2021 in Baltimore.

Alonso and McNeil both finished with three hits and four RBIs. Alvarez also had three of New York's 17 hits.

Tylor Megill (5-4) allowed two runs over five innings to win for the second time in his last eight starts. Paul Blackburn worked four innings for his first major league save.

Rockies rookie Chase Dollander (2-6) was tagged for five runs and eight hits in three innings. Colorado has lost eight straight to the Mets.

With the bases loaded in the fifth, Megill retired Hunter Goodman and Thairo Estrada to limit damage and qualify for a win.

Soto had his second three-hit game of the series. ... McNeil also doubled to match his career high with three extra-base hits. ... Alonso raised his batting average to .301 and has 18 RBIs in his past eight games. He began the day leading the majors in RBIs.

Mets RHP Griffin Canning (6-2, 2.90 ERA) opens a three-game home series against Washington on Tuesday night.

Rockies LHP Carson Palmquist (0-4, 8.50) takes the mound against San Francisco on Tuesday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

New York Mets' Jeff McNeil, right, congratulates Pete Alonso as he returns to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander in the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies' Orlando Arcia reacts after striking out against New York Mets relief pitcher Paul Blackburn in the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

New York Mets players celebrate after defeating the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

New York Mets' Jeff McNeil follows the flight of his three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Juan Mejia in the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso follows the flight of his two-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Tyler Kinley in the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill works against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies' Hunter Goodman reacts after striking out against New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill to end the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

New York Mets' Jeff McNeil gestures to fans as he circles the bases after hitting a solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso follows the flight of his two-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander in the third inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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)