John Means tossed six strong innings to earn his first win of the season Tuesday night, when the visiting Baltimore Orioles hit four homers as they continued surging with an 11-2 win over the New York Mets.

The Orioles (20-21) have won four straight and six of eight to move within a half-game of the New York Yankees in the race for the final playoff spot in the American League. The Mets (19-24), who entered Tuesday two games out of the NL's last postseason spot, have lost eight of 12.

Means (1-3) allowed one run -- on a Jake Marisnick homer in the second -- and three hits while walking one and striking out five to earn his first victory since last Sept. 28. The left-hander, who opened the season on the injured list and missed almost two weeks in August following the death of his father, retired 11 in a row between the second and sixth.

D.J. Stewart's two-run homer -- his fourth round-tripper in the last three games -- off Michael Wacha staked Means to the lead in the second. Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run homer in the third and Cedric Mullins laced an RBI triple in the fourth before the Orioles piled on against Robert Gsellman.

Pat Valaika beat out an RBI infield single immediately before Rio Ruiz hit a three-run homer in the fifth. Valaika led off the eighth with a homer and Jose Iglesias added an RBI single.

Mullins finished a homer shy of the cycle while Iglesias, Ruiz, Valaika, Mountcastle and Pedro Severino all had two hits each for the Orioles, who posted their second-most lopsided win of the season. Baltimore beat the Washington Nationals, 11-0, on Aug. 7.

Marisnick and Jeff McNeil had two hits each for the Mets, who lost by at least nine runs for the third time this year. McNeil homered in the eighth and has gone deep in three straight games.

Wacha (1-3) allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and no walks while striking out three over four innings. Gsellman gave up six runs in 3 2/3 innings before exiting due to injury.

--Field Level Media