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Granderson sets Mets record with 7th leadoff homer

BALTIMORE -- Two pitches into Tuesday night's 5-3 win over the Orioles and Mets history was made.

Curtis Granderson, who has hit eight home runs in his last 20 games, put a jolt into the thousands of Mets fans at Camden Yards with a leadoff home run to right field. It was Granderson's seventh leadoff homer of the season, setting a Mets record, and he connected off starter Kevin Gausman in the fifth.

"When he hit it, it's always exciting," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Everybody roots for him, he's a tremendous player, a great guy and to start the game out like that, big swing."

Granderson didn't play up the leadoff home run during postgame interviews, but it was certainly a solid way to begin a series after the Mets were swept by the Pirates over the weekend.

Video: NYM@BAL: Granderson rips his second homer of the game

"I think they were both fastballs," Granderson said of his two homers. "He throws very hard and is able to elevate when he needs to, got a lot of strikeouts over the course of the game."

The outfielder had faced Gausman on one previous occasion, and did not get a hit, but quickly raised his average to .500 against the right-hander after connecting on a second-pitch fastball. Granderson wasn't aware that he set a Mets record with the swing, and was amused by the fact after the game. But perhaps nobody was happier than Mets starter Jacob deGrom.

"That's big. Had a 1-0 lead before I even went on the mound," deGrom said.

It was the outfielder's 35th leadoff home run of his career, but Granderson's night wasn't over. He also hit a solo home run in the fifth inning off Gausman, marking his third multi-home run game this season.

Video: NYM@BAL: Granderson jumps to snag fly ball at track

Granderson's night is just a continuation of what has been a hot August for the lefty. Along with the home run barrage he is on, he has notched 16 RBIs in 16 games in August.

"Like anything, when you get hot you just see the ball good," Collins said. "For some reason, you talk to hitters when they get in a slump, one of the first things they tell you is I'm not seeing the ball good. Right now it looks big to him and he's putting good swings on it."

Connor Smolensky is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
Read More: New York Mets, Curtis Granderson