Mets Finish Off Phillies In Citi Regular Season Send-Off

Brandon Nimmo touching home plate on his sixth inning home run off Phillies starter Zack Wheeler. Photo by Jason Schott.

 

The Mets closed out the Citi Field portion of the regular season in rousing fashion, as they beat the Phillies, 2-1, to take three out of four games in the weekend series. 

The Mets improved to 87-69, and they are in firm position in the playoff race. They are tied for the second Wild Card spot with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and are two games in front of the Atlanta Braves (85-71).

On Tuesday night, the Mets begin a long-anticipated three-game series in Atlanta before they finish up the regular season with a  three-game set at the National League Central Champion Milwaukee Brewers. 

The win on Sunday night was extra special, as the Phillies, who fell to 90-64, will have to wait another day to clinch the National League East as their magic number is 1.

The Phillies jumped out to the early lead in the top of the first inning when Alec Bohm got an RBI single. They went on to load the bases, but Mets starter Tylor Megill got J.T. Realmuto to line out to center to end the threat.

In the bottom of the first, it was an emotional moment, as most of the 43,139 fans (guessing Phillies fans on hand did not) gave Mets first baseman Pete Alonso a standing ovation ahead of his first at-bat in what could be his last game at Citi Field.

Pete Alonso acknowledges the crowd before his first at-bat Sunday night. Photo by Jason Schott.

Alonso was called out on strikes, the first of three K's for him on a night he went 0-for-4.

The Mets broke through against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler in the bottom of the second, as Mark Vientos laced a two-out double to center field. 

Tyrone Taylor then hit a single to left field to bring Vientos home and tie the game at 1.

Megill kept the Phillies right there, as he retired the Phillies in order in the third, as he got Trea Turner to fly out to left field, struck out Bryce Harper swinging, and Bohm struck out looking.

Tylor Megill firing one in to Bryce Harper in the third inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

After Megill successfully worked through trouble in the fourth, he was pulled, and his final line was: 4 innings, 4 hits, 1 run (earned), 2 walks, 6 strikeouts. His record remains 4-5 and he lowered his ERA (earned run average) to 3.98.

Phil Maton was first out of the Mets bullpen, and he went six up, six down to retire the Phillies in order in the fifth and sixth innings. 

With Wheeler still going strong, Brandon Nimmo stunned him by crushing one to right field in the bottom of the sixth. It looked like he had it off the bat, and if it were played in the original afternoon time slot, probably would have been a no-doubter, but in the gale force winds this game was played in, it bounced off the roof of the speakeasy for a solo home run that made it 2-1 Mets.

Pete Alonso ready to celebrate with Brandon Nimmo after he crossed the plate on his homer. Photo by Jason Schott.

This was the 22nd homer and 87th RBI of the season for the Mets left fielder.

Jose Butto came on for the Mets in the seventh, and he retired Philadelphia 1-2-3.

The Mets turned to closer Edwin Diaz in the eighth with the top of the Phillies order coming up. He struck out Kyle Schwarber looking to make it 10 straight outs in a row recorded by Mets relievers.

Edwin Diaz looking on as Francisco Alvarez frames strike three to nab Kyle Schwarber. Photo by Jason Schott.

Trea Turner then hit a duck snort, as Hawk Harrelson used to call them, into center field, for a single. Diaz then struck out Harper, and even though Turner stole both second and third with little, if any attention from Diaz, he got Bohm to ground out to shortstop to end the frame.

Diaz stayed on for the ninth, and he worked around a pair of walks before getting Kody Clemens (son of Roger) to strike out to end it and record his 20th save of the season.

Maton earned the win to improve to 3-3 on the season, while Wheeler was the hard-luck loser, as he fell to 16-7 despite throwing seven innings, while allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits and a walk, while striking out eight.