David Peterson, pitching on his 29th birthday, struck out a career-high 11 over six innings and earned the win as the host New York Mets stayed hot with a 7-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.

Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso all homered for the Mets (75-64), who have won six straight. New York entered Tuesday a half-game behind the Atlanta Braves in the race for the final National League wild-card berth.

Nick Sogard had an RBI single in the fifth inning and Enmanuel Valdez lofted a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to right in the eighth for the reeling Red Sox (70-69), who have lost four straight. Boston began Tuesday 4 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals, who occupied the American League’s third wild-card spot despite losing six straight.

Peterson (9-1) allowed one run on six hits and one walk in improving to 4-0 with a 1.81 ERA in his past seven starts. The 11 strikeouts broke his previous single-game best of 10, a mark he had reached four times.

Peterson’s 11 strikeouts were also the most by a Mets pitcher on his birthday. Dillon Gee had seven on his 26th birthday on April 28, 2012.

Lindor’s two-run homer in the third off Boston starter Kutter Crawford (8-13) was the only hit allowed by the right-hander over six innings. Crawford walked two and fanned eight while losing his fourth straight start.

Vientos led off the seventh by homering against Justin Slaten before the Red Sox nearly tied the game after their first three batters reached in the eighth against Jose Butto and Reed Garrett. Following Valdez’s sacrifice fly, Garrett got Masataka Yoshida to hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Mets added insurance in the bottom of the inning, as Lindor laced an RBI double to left and Brandon Nimmo hit a sacrifice fly before Alonso’s two-run shot.

Lindor extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He also owns a 32-game on-base streak.

–Field Level Media