Harper salutes London with HR soccer slide in win

LONDON — Bryce Harper celebrated with a soccer slide after his tying home run; Ranger Suárez became the season’s first 10-game winner; and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 7-2 on Saturday in the opener of Major League Baseball’s third London Series.

After Harper sparked the four-run sixth, Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer for the majors-best Phillies (45-19), who have won four in a row and seven of eight. Harper was a triple shy of the cycle.

Nick Castellanos added an eighth-inning homer and watched from the batter’s box until he know it was inside the left-field foul pole at London Stadium, home of Premier League club West Ham.

Suarez (10-1) allowed two runs and eight hits in 5⅔ innings for the Phillies, who played their first game outside North America. Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson got his 200th regular-season win (200-137).

After Starling Marte‘s RBI double in the first, Harper pulled a sweeper from Sean Manaea (3-3) over the Mets bullpen in right. The two-time NL MVP then did a soccer slide in front of the Phillies dugout and moments later yelled “I love soccer!” while high-fiving teammates.

Harper has a team-high 15 homers, and the Phillies are 22-0 when Harper has an RBI.

Edmundo Sosa‘s two-out single put the Phillies ahead 2-1, and Merrifield hit his third homer of the season, a drive into the Philly bullpen. Kyle Schwarber chased Manaea with an RBI single.

Manaea gave up six runs and seven hits and has allowed 11 earned runs in his past two starts, raising his ERA from 3.16 to 4.30. Manaea was roughed up in a start in Mexico City last year for San Francisco.

Lindor, who had two hits and a walk, beat Harper’s throw home after J.D. Martinez grounded out in the fifth. The Mets (27-36), who had won their previous three games, were the home team Saturday and will be the road team for Sunday’s series finale. Retired captain David Wright was in the stands to watch.

Pitchers had hoped cooler weather would keep the ball in the park — it was hot during slugfests in 2019 and last year. The temperature in East London was 65 degrees (18 Celsius) at the first pitch.

The deepest a starting pitcher has gone in London was six innings by Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs last year in a 9-1 win over St. Louis.