Mallory-Weiss syndrome

A 30-year-old man comes into the emergency department because of sharp chest pain radiating to his back. He recently graduated from law school and has been celebrating for the past week at local bars. He says that he was drinking to the point of vomiting and blacking out. He thinks his pain began after a particularly intense night of vomiting and retching. His vital signs show no abnormalities. Physical examination shows heart sounds with a regular rate without any murmurs, lungs which are clear to auscultation, and a soft, non-distended abdomen. There is no hepatosplenomegaly. Which of the following is the most likely etiology of this patient’s underlying problem?