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.