After tensions flared last night between the Mets and the Phillies, the Amazins’ were looking for revenge against their division rivals. Michael Conforto had his biggest game of the season to back up his teammate Dom Smith as the Mets got a much-needed win, 5-4,  in which they backed up their starter Taijuan Walker. The Mets bullpen continued its recent fine play, recording three more scoreless innings. The pen has now gone 19 innings without allowing a run. Trevor May posted his second win of the early campaign, while Edwin Diaz picked up his third save of the season in as many chances. Overall, a nice and much needed victory for the Mets. (box score)

 

On the Mound

Walker was the first player out of the Mets dugout when Dom Smith and Jose Alvarado got into it in the eighth inning on Friday night. He would take the mound tonight for the Mets making his fifth start of the season.

The Phillies got it working in the second inning as they had runners on second and third base with just one out. Andrew Knapp then grounded out to first to bring in the Phillies first run. Walker seemed like he was going to get out of it with Phillies starter and former Met Zack Wheeler came to the plate. Wheeler, however, made like his former teammate Jacob deGrom and helped his own cause with an RBI single to right. 

 Walker settled down for the next 3 innings but in the 6th it was trouble once again. Rhys Hoskins leadoff with a single and then Alec Bohm hit one over the wall in right-center field to make the game even at 4. He got through the inning and his night was finished and it was Aaron Loup’s turn in the seventh. 

 The Mets bullpen continued their success once Walker came out. Loup pitched well in his one inning of work as he did not give up a run. Then, in honor of the calendar turning to May, Trevor May came on in eighth and did his job as well sending it to the ninth with the game still tied at 4. 

After some heroics from Conforto,  Edwin Diaz came on in the ninth, firing absolute bullets to the Phillies batters. He got through the inning and ended the game with the Mets win. 

 

At the Plate

As the calendar turned to May, the Mets looked to shake off their offensive struggles. The only problem was they were facing Wheeler, who has been exceptional since trading in his blue pinstripes for red. In the first inning that didn’t matter as the Mets looked to back Walker before he even threw a pitch.

 Pete Alonso rocketed one to center that hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double that scored Francisco Lindor. The next batter was Conforto who hit a hard line drive to left field that snuck under Andrew McCutchen‘s glove for a 2-RBI double.  J.D. Davis then added an RBI single and just like that, it was 4-0 Mets. The early success did not last however as Zack Wheeler quickly settled in. 

 Wheeler pitched all the way to the seventh inning and did not give up another run. The Mets barely threatened when he was on the mound. They looked like they would go down quietly…but up came Conforto in the ninth inning.

 The Phillies brought in Hector Neris to try and get the game into the bottom of the 9th tied at four. Michael Conforto came to the plate looking to start a rally for a team that needed one more than ever. He did just that with a home run over the right-field wall for his third RBI of the night and that was all she wrote.

 On Deck

The Mets will play the rubber match of this series tomorrow on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. David Peterson will be back on the mound going up against Zach Eflin. They will also look to get back to .500. First pitch is at 7:00 PM