Days after a botched batting order bore a third consecutive series loss, the Mets seemed destined for more free falling in Philly.
After Steven Matz tossed five innings of one run ball, the bullpen maintained their cool, setting up a ninth inning come from behind beauty off the bat of Michael Conforto.
“I think we needed that feeling,” manager Mickey Callaway said following the game. “But we have a long way to go. It’s one inning of one game.”
The struggling left-hand hitting outfielder, who’s starting to find his stroke, belted Hector Neris’s 1-2 offering into the right center field seats two pitches after he crushed the closer’s splitter just wide of the foul pole.
“It’s like getting punched in the stomach a little bit,” Conforto said. “But you’re still in the at-bat, so you take a deep breath. I saw one pitch and then got a fastball in the middle of the plate.”
Recently acquired catcher Devin Mesoraco added some insurance with a back-to-back dinger —his first in his new duds — and Jeurys Familia retired the side in order in the final frame for his 11th save of the season.
“That was cool,” said Mesoraco after making his first big impression with the Mets. “[Conforto] got the big one and I was thinking [Phillies closer Hector Neris] was going to try to get ahead, so I jumped on the first one.”
Conforto and the rest of the Mets just watched from the dugout and erupted when Mesoraco went back-to-back.
“I just heard a loud crack and watched Mesoraco’s go,” Conforto said. “That just multiplied [the energy in the dugout]. It was a fun 30 seconds or so.”
Former Cubs’ ace Jake Arrieta blanked the Mets for 7.1 innings, but fortunately for New York, was pulled after scattering five hits on 101 pitches.
If Zack Wheeler and Matz’s recent outings are any indication of what they can achieve in future performances, manager Mickey Callaway can hopefully regain his early savior status in Queens.
