Alonso hits 2 homers, Soto goes deep again and McLean moves to 4-0 as Mets beat Tigers 12-5

DETROIT (AP) — Pete Alonso homered twice, Juan Soto went deep again and rookie Nolan McLean pitched six solid innings as the New York Mets beat the Detroit Tigers 12-5 on Tuesday night.

McLean (4-0) recovered from a rocky start to set down his final 14 batters. He gave up two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out seven, becoming the first Mets pitcher to earn a win in each of his first four major league appearances.

Luis Torrens launched a three-run homer for the Mets, who won the series opener 10-8 on Monday. They are five games ahead of Cincinnati and San Francisco for the final National League wild card.

The AL Central-leading Tigers have lost seven of nine.

Alonso’s first homer was a 435-foot drive in the first inning that landed between the first and second row of shrubs behind the center-field wall. Soto and Alonso hit back-to-back solo shots in a six-run seventh that gave the Mets a 12-2 cushion.

Soto has 37 home runs in his first season with New York — five in the past five games. Alonso’s second homer was his 33rd of the year.

Jeff McNeil drove in three runs and finished with three of New York's 17 hits. Brandon Nimmo and Brett Baty also had three hits for the Mets.

Detroit turned a pair of two-out walks into two runs in the first, scoring on singles off McLean before the 24-year-old righty shut them down.

Tigers starter Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-2) gave up six runs on five hits and two walks over four innings, pitching for the first time since Aug. 13 in a season stunted by injuries. Detroit right-hander Chris Paddack, demoted to the bullpen, allowed six runs and eight hits over 1 1/3 innings.

Torrens homered in a five-run fourth, giving the Mets a 6-2 lead.

Soto homered again, one day after becoming the first player in the modern era to hit a go-ahead grand slam and a go-ahead triple that scored more than one run in the same game.

Mets RHP Clay Holmes (11-6, 3.60 ERA) and Tigers RHP Casey Mize (12-5, 3.95) are scheduled to start Wednesday.

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

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso reacts while running the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

New York Mets' Juan Soto, left, celebrates with center fielder Starling Marte in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

MIAMI (AP) — Anfernee Simons scored 18 of his season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, Jaylen Brown added 27 and the Boston Celtics trailed most of the way before rallying to beat the Miami Heat 119-114 on Thursday night.

Sam Hauser added 17 points for the Celtics, who outscored Miami 36-21 in the fourth quarter and won after facing as much as a 19-point deficit. It was their second-biggest comeback win of the season, after coming from 20 down to beat Indiana on Dec. 22.

Simons had the second highest-scoring game for a reserve this season — Utah's Brice Sensabaugh had 43 on Wednesday night in a loss to Chicago — and became the fourth Celtics player in the last 50 years to score at least 39 off the bench. The others: Larry Bird, Todd Day and Payton Pritchard.

Norman Powell scored 26 points for Miami, which got 22 points apiece from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Andrew Wiggins added 16 for the Heat.

Simons had 11 consecutive Boston points in the fourth quarter to chip away at what was left of the Miami edge, and then Hauser got an open 3-pointer with 5:21 left to give the Celtics their first lead since the opening minute of the game.

The lead changed hands twice more, before Brown's 3-pointer with 4:05 remaining put Boston on top for good.

Miami started the game on a 28-9 run, putting the Celtics in a most unusual early position.

That 19-point margin — only about seven minutes into the game — matched the biggest first-quarter deficit the Celtics faced in a 304-game span since trailing Indiana by 20 early on in a game on Dec. 21, 2022. Boston also trailed Milwaukee by 19 in the first quarter on April 9, 2024.

The Heat played without starting point guard Davion Mitchell (left shoulder contusion) and sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left knee soreness).

Celtics: At Atlanta on Saturday night.

Heat: Host Oklahoma City on Saturday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, center, is defended by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) comes under pressure from Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) goes for the basket defended by Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware, obscured, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after making a shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches from courtside during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)