NEW YORK (Interstat) — Gunnar Henderson hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning Monday night, and the Baltimore Orioles held on for a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field. The win moved Baltimore to 73-78 and pulled the Orioles within three games of Cleveland for the last American League wild-card spot. New York dropped to 69-81. The game took 2 hours, 47 minutes and drew 35,800.

Henderson’s 23rd homer of the season came against Dedniel Núñez with one out in the eighth, immediately after Pete Alonso struck out swinging. Alonso, facing his former home crowd, went hitless in his return to Citi Field. He flew out in the first, walked in the third, grounded out in the fifth and struck out in the eighth, finishing 0 for 3 with a walk.

Baltimore took a 1-0 lead in the second. Jackson Holliday singled on a line drive to right, moved to second on a passed ball by catcher Francisco Alvarez and scored on Heston Kjerstad’s RBI double to right. Kjerstad finished with a double and one RBI. The Mets answered in the fourth when A.J. Ewing homered to right field, his 10th, tying the game. Ewing went 1 for 3 with the home run and one RBI.

Brandon Young, Baltimore’s top star, pitched five innings and allowed one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts. He bounced back from a rough outing Sept. 8 against Cleveland, when he gave up six earned runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings during a loss. Jonah Tong started for New York and was sharp, throwing six scoreless innings with four hits allowed and six strikeouts. He did not factor in the decision.

Baltimore’s bullpen took over from there. Josh Walker threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout. Grant Wolfram followed with a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. Yennier Cano got the final out of the eighth and earned the win, improving to 3-3. Rico Garcia pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save.

The Mets had chances earlier. In the second, Marcus Semien singled and Ewing and Brett Baty walked to load the bases, but Alvarez struck out on a foul tip. In the third, Juan Soto and Carson Benge singled, but Jared Young grounded out to pitcher Brandon Young to end the threat. In the fifth, Soto and Jared Young walked, but Semien grounded out sharply to shortstop Henderson.

New York’s bullpen kept the game tied into the eighth. Jonathan Pintaro pitched a scoreless seventh, allowing one hit and striking out two. Núñez took the loss, falling to 1-1, after Henderson’s homer. Kodai Senga pitched a scoreless ninth for New York, allowing two hits and striking out three.

Baltimore finished with nine hits. New York had six. Orioles pitchers combined for 22 strikes, 39 balls and 22 balls in play. Mets pitchers combined for 18 strikes, 64 balls and 18 balls in play.

The Orioles nearly added insurance in the ninth. Kjerstad singled and Colton Cowser singled, with Kjerstad advancing to third on a fielding error by center fielder Ewing. But Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers both struck out to end the inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Baty flew out to right, Alvarez grounded out sharply to third, and Francisco Lindor flew out to left, ending the game.

Cano was the winning pitcher for Baltimore. Núñez was the losing pitcher for New York. Garcia recorded the save. Henderson went 1 for 4 with the home run and one RBI. Ewing went 1 for 3 with the home run and one RBI. Kjerstad had the other RBI for Baltimore.

Baltimore had lost two of three at Toronto before Monday, including an 8-1 defeat Sunday. The Mets had lost 2-0 at the New York Yankees on Sunday. The Orioles and Mets continue their series at Citi Field on Tuesday and Wednesday. Baltimore then returns home to host Milwaukee on Friday. New York opens a home series against Philadelphia on Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York Mets 6, Baltimore Orioles 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Mets with a 54.9 percent probability to win. The Mets had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under line was 8.5, and the game’s total of 3 runs fell under that line.