Mets No-Hit Phillies

Tylor Megill on the mound facing Bryce Harper, with the Mets defense on the shift. Photo by Jason Schott

The Mets made some history on Friday night, as they used five pitchers to no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-0, in the opener of a three-game set on Friday night at Citi Field. 

Tylor Megill got the ball rolling with five no-hit innings, followed by Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez, Seth Lugo, and Edwin Diaz to complete the second no-hitter in Mets franchise’s history.

The only other one was about a month shy of 10 years ago when Johan Santana no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals on another Friday night, June 1, 2012.

It’s interesting to note that this was the first Friday night this season that the Mets wore their black uniforms, so they brought them a little luck. 

This was a pitching duel early between the Mets' Tylor Megill and Aaron Nola of the Phillies.

Megill retired the first five Phillies hitters before allowing a walk to Kyle Schwarber. He then retired Alec Bohm on a fly to center field to end the inning, and that began a stretch in which Megill retired eight Phillies in a row before he walked Schwarber again with one out in the fifth. 

Schwarber then stole second, but Megill then struck out Bohm looking before walking Didi Gregorius to give Philadelphia two on base with one out. Odubel Herrera then struck out, chasing a high fastball, to end the inning, and Megill ended up striking the side around the two walks to finish his night.

Nola allowed a single to Brandon Nimmo to open the game, but then got Starling Marte to hit in a tailor-made double play. Francisco Lindor then hit a mile-high pop-up that second baseman Jean Sugura appeared to catch in shallow center field, but it fell out of his glove. Somehow, Lindor was credited with a hit, let's say it was creative accounting.

Then Mets didn't take advantage of that major break, as Nola then struck out Alonso to end the frame. That began a stretch for Nola in which he retired 10 Mets in a row until Educardo Escobar hit a single up the middle through the shift.

After a Robinson Cano strikeout, Mark Canha laced a double down the left field line to give the Mets second and third with one out. Jeff McNeil brought them both home with a single to center field to make it 2-0 Mets.

Megill did not come back for the sixth inning, even though he was throwing a no-hitter, such is baseball now. He allowed just three walks, while striking out five, and threw 88 pitches (53 strikes).

Drew Smith came on for the Mets in the sixth, and he picked up where Megill left out, striking out the side in the sixth around a walk to Bryce Harper.

The Mets added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth when Pete Alonso launched a solo shot to left field with two outs to make it 3-0. It would have been more if Starling Marte, who singled to open the frame, was not caught trying to steal second base.

Smith struck out J.T. Realmuto to open the seventh, and that was all for his night, as he got all four of his outs via the K.

Joely Rodriguez was next out of the Mets bullpen, and he walked Schwarber (his third BB of the night), and then got Bohm to hit into a perfect 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and keep the no-hitter going.

Rodriguez stayed on for the eighth and he got Greogorius  to ground out before allowing a walk to Johan Carmago.

Seth Lugo came on and got Jean Segura and Rhys Hopkins to both pop out within the infield to close out the eighth inning.

Mets closer Edwin Diaz came on for the ninth, and he struck out Harper, Nick Castellanos, and Realmuto to end it.

Megill earned the win, thanks to the Mets taking the lead in the bottom of the fifth, and he improved to 4-0 on the season and lowered his earned-run average to 1.93.

The right-hander, in his second season with the Mets, took Jacob deGrom’s spot in the rotation and he’s putting up numbers befitting of the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

The Mets improved to 15-6 on the season, the best record in baseball, and have a three-game lead over Miami (11-8) and a five-game edge over the Phillies and Braves, who are both 10-11.