Mets roar back with five-run 8th inning to take Game 1 of NLDS in win over Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — Two Philadelphia Phillies fans walked around the Citizens Bank Park concourse on Saturday afternoon asking fans decked in red and powder blue, if they were ready to “smash the pumpkin.” Clearly, the “playoff pumpkin” displayed by Pete Alonso after the Mets‘ wild-card win is not welcome in enemy territory.
The pumpkin remains intact after a 6-2 win in Game 1 of the NLDS. The Mets scored five runs in the top of the eighth off three Philadelphia relievers to win in comeback fashion for the third time in four playoff games.
The city of Philadelphia seems to be under the impression that the Mets advanced to the NLDS by sheer vibes alone. To be fair, the Mets did have a menagerie of mascots this season and their second baseman is a Latin pop star, so yeah, the vibes are high, but the same was said about the Phillies during their run to the World Series two years ago.
Kodai Senga made his anticipated return and promptly gave up a 425-foot bomb to Kyle Schwarber in the bottom of the first. But Senga, David Peterson, Reed Garrett, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek combined to hold the Phillies scoreless nearly the rest of the way through. They limited the NL East champs to two runs on five hits, with Stanek giving up a run in the top of the ninth.
Zack Wheeler, a former Mets starter, was brilliant, shutting the Mets out over seven innings, allowing only one hit, while walking three and striking out nine. The Mets swung and missed 30 times on Wheeler’s offerings, an absurd number.
It became a different ballgame after Wheeler’s exit.
The Mets scored twice against right-hander Jeff Hoffman in the top of the eighth before an out was recorded. The right-hander gave up a single to No. 9 hitter Francisco Alvarez and walked Francisco Lindor to bring up Mark Vientos, the only player in a Mets uniform to get a hit off Wheeler. Vientos hit Hoffman too, sending a single to left field to score Harrison Bader, who pinch-ran for Alvarez.
The Phillies went to the bullpen for left-hander Matt Strahm to counter the left-handed hitting Brandon Nimmo, but Nimmo lined one to shallow left field to score the go-ahead run. A fly ball by Pete Alonso scored Vientos to give the Mets a 3-1 lead, and Jose Iglesias (the aforementioned Latin pop star) then worked a 10-pitch at-bat, sending a cutter up the middle for an RBI single, chasing Strahm from the game.
Right-hander Orion Kerkering then came in and the Mets countered with J.D. Martinez. With two on and one out, the veteran singled up the center to score Nimmo and Iglesias beat the tag to third, putting him in position to score on a fly ball to center field by Starling Marte.
Senga threw two pitches to Schwarber before the leadoff man hit the third into the second deck of right field. In his first start since late July, few knew what to expect from the enigmatic right-hander.
He threw 31 pitches over two innings, striking out three and walking one. Peterson, who earned the save Wednesday night in Milwaukee, followed up with three no-hit innings, walked three and struck out one.
The Mets played the matchups from there, using Reed Garrett for two innings and Phil Maton after they took the lead. A sixth run in the top of the ninth allowed them to save Edwin Diaz, who threw 39 pitches two days ago.
In the end, the only smashing was done to the Phillies bullpen.
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