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In the wise words of Gary Cohen, The Mets (19-9) triumphed ‘a win for the ages’ on Thursday evening at Citizens Bank Park, with a 8-7 comeback win over the Phillies (11-15) in the first of a four-game series.
New York mustered just three hits through the first eight innings of the game, and it seemed as though this game would be one to forget early on. Yet, defying all odds, the fighting Mets capped off an improbable win by scoring seven runs on eight hits in ninth inning to come back from six-run deficit. Previously, the Mets were 0-330 over the past 25 seasons when trailing by six runs entering the ninth.
The Mets fell into an early 4-0 hole against the Phillies when starter Taijuan Walker gave up four runs, three earned, on two walks and three hits in the first inning. Francisco Lindor committed an error, his fourth of the season, on what’ve could’ve been a double-play ball. Walker threw thirty pitches in the opening frame.
Walker continued to struggle and allowed another Philadelphia run in the second. He faced 14 batters through the first two innings of the evening. The right-hander gave up back-to-back home runs to Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos in the fourth to make it 7-0, and induced two groundouts to conclude his outing. Walker allowed seven runs, six earned, on nine hits, with two walks through four innings pitched. He tossed 80 pitches in his third outing this season, and his ERA rocketed from a 0.00 to 4.91.
Scraping just three hits through the first eight innings, New York’s bats could not get it going. Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola retired thirteen consecutive Mets batters before Starling Marte shot his third home run of the season to put the Mets on the board, 7-1 in the sixth inning.
In what seemed like a hopeless situation, New York stepped up to the plate (literally, and figuratively) and the offense flipped the switch to rally mode in the ninth. Marte led off with a base hit and Lindor followed with a two-run homer cut two runs from the deficit.
The hits kept coming for New York – a Pete Alonso double and a pair of base hits from Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha made it 7-4. Then with two outs, pinch-hitter J.D. Davis came in clutch to drive in another run and bring Brandon Nimmo to the plate as the tying run with first and third. Nimmo knocked a base hit to drive in the pair of runners and tie it up, and Starling Marte doubled to give the Mets the lead. The relentless Mets hitters are now slashing .310/.372/.524 in the ninth inning this season.
Edwin Diaz was dominant in the ninth inning again, setting down the Phillies in order with two strikeouts.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Player of the Game
Starling Marte earned the player of the game on Thursday evening as he went 3-for-5 with a homer and two runs batted in. Marte got the Mets on the board with his home run in the sixth, and drove in the winning run with a two-out double in the ninth.
On Deck
The Mets look to continue the magic in second of the four-game series in Philadelphia on Friday, with Max Scherzer (4-0, 2.61 ERA) on the bump. In his last outing, Mad Max earned the win over the Phillies with four runs allowed on five hits through six innings. Kyle Gibson (2-1, 2.93 ERA) will get the start for Philadelphia. First pitch at Citizens Bank Park is set for 7:05 p.m. ET, and fans can catch the game on SNY or WCBS 880.
Let’s go Mets!
