The Mets continued their road trip and opened their second series of the 2022 regular season on Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies. Taijuan Walker was the starter for the visiting Mets against Ranger Suarez of the Phillies.

The Mets held a strong lead through seven innings against the Phillies, but the Mets bullpen struggled starting in the eighth as the Phillies struck for all five of their runs in the inning. They ultimately ended up defeating the Mets 5-4 to take the series-opening win.

The Mets got off to a very quick offensive start against Suarez in the top of the first and set the tone for the Mets’ offense. Brandon Nimmo led-off with a single to left field on the second pitch of the game. Starling Marte followed suit with a single to third base that was deflected by Suarez. Nimmo advanced to third and Marte advanced to second on a throwing error by Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm.

Two batters later, Pete Alonso grounded out to third, but got the RBI as Nimmo came in to score and give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Marte advanced to third on the ground ball. Eduardo Escobar kept the first inning fireworks going with a single to right field that scored Marte to extend the Mets’ lead to 2-0.

With one runner on, J.D. Davis followed Escobar with a walk that allowed Escobar to advance to second. The Mets then sent their seventh batter of the inning to the plate in the red-hot Mark Canha. Canha kept the inning alive with a two-out single to right field that scored Escobar and extended the Mets’ lead over the Phillies even further to 3-0.

Luis Guillorme represented the eighth batter sent to the plate in the first for the Mets, however he grounded out to end the inning. But the Mets struck hard in the first with three runs on four hits against Suarez and the Phillies.

Following a long top of the first inning, Mets starter Taijuan Walker came out to pitch for the Mets in his season debut. He started off his outing strong by retiring the Phillies in order and striking out two.

The Mets’ offense was a little more quiet in the top of the second. James McCann reached on an error to put the lead-off batter on for the Mets in the second, but a sacrifice bunt and two groundouts ended the inning for the Mets who did not score in the second.

Walker stayed strong in the bottom of the second, once again retiring the Phillies in order and collecting two more strikeouts. He retired six in a row and struck out four through two innings of work. But that was it for Walker. The Mets announced that he left Monday’s game with “shoulder irritation.”

The Mets came back swinging in the top of the third. Alonso led off the inning by reaching on an error by Bohm to put the lead-off runner on. Two batters later, J.D. Davis singled to right field and advanced Alonso to second. The Mets had two on with one out. Canha struck out for the second out of the inning.

Following a mound visit for the Phillies, Nick Nelson replaced Suarez on the mound with two outs and two on. He struck out Guillorme to end the inning.

Walker was replaced on the mound in the top of the third by David Peterson. Peterson got off to a slightly shaky start, giving up a single to Jean Segura for the Phillies’ first hit of the game. But Segura was quickly picked off at first on a pick-off throw from Peterson to Alonso to get Segura.

With one out, Peterson walked Bohm, but then settled down. Peterson got Matt Vierling flying out and Kyle Schwarber to strike out to end the inning.

Nelson pitched well in the fourth for the Phillies, giving up just a one-out single to Nimmo in the inning. With one runner on he forced Marte to ground into a double play to avoid trouble in the inning.

Peterson came back out for his second inning of work for the Mets in the bottom of the fourth. After retiring J.T. Realmuto to open the inning he walked Bryce Harper and gave up a single to Nick Castellanos to put two on with one out. He then grounded Rhys Hoskins into a double play to end the inning and avoid any damage being done by the Phillies.

Nelson continued to look strong for the Phillies in the fifth retiring the Mets in order.

Peterson also settled down in the fifth. He faced four batters in the inning, giving up just a double to Bohm, but retiring the other three batters to keep the Mets’ shutout alive for the time being.

Both Peterson and Nelson were lights out in the sixth inning. They retired their respective sides in order. Nelson collected a strikeout in the sixth and Peterson struck out two in the bottom of the sixth.

The Mets’ offense went back to work in the top of the seventh against Nelson. Nelson walked the lead-off batter McCann and then retired Nimmo and Marte on lineouts to collect two quick outs. That was it for Nelson, though. The Phillies went to their bullpen with two out and one on in the seventh. Seranthony Dominguez replaced Nelson on the mound for Philadelphia in the seventh. He faced Lindor to open his outing.

Lindor read Dominguez quickly, singling on the fourth pitch he saw. It was a single to right field that scored McCann. Lindor advanced to second on the throw as the Mets extended their lead over the Phillies to 4-0. Alonso lined out to end the inning.

The Mets made another call to the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh. Trevor May came in to replace David Peterson on the mound for the Mets.

May looked solid in the seventh retiring three of the four batters he faced, giving up just a single to Didi Gregorious, but now allowing the Phillies to score, keeping the Mets’ shutout alive through seven innings.

Dominguez came back in to pitch the eighth for the Phillies. He walked the leadoff batter, Escobar, but grounded J.D. Davis into a double play and struck out Canha to end the inning.

May came back out to start the eighth for the Mets. He walked Bohm to put the leadoff batter aboard, but was then replaced on the mound by Joely Rodriguez after exiting the game with an apparent injury as well.

May was the second Mets pitcher to exit Monday night’s game with an injury after Walker also exited with a shoulder injury.

Rodriguez struggled in his outing. He gave up a quick single to Johan Camargo on a line drive to right field that advanced Bohm to third and quickly put himself into trouble. He then forced Schwarber into a force out, but Bohm scored to put the Phillies on the board. It was 4-1 Mets with one out.

With one on, Rodriguez then gave up a two-run home run to Realmuto to score Schwarber and just like that the Phillies were making a comeback. It was 4-3 with still just one out.

The Mets were then forced to go back to their bullpen. Manager Buck Showalter called in Seth Lugo to try to get the Mets out of the inning. But Lugo struggled, too, as the Mets’ bullpen continued to spiral out of control.

Lugo walked Castellanos and then gave up a double to Hoskins that scored Castellano to tie the game at four. After a mound visit, Gregorious doubled to center field and score Hoskins to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead over the Mets, their first lead of the day.

Lugo then struck out Segura to end the inning, but not before damage was done. The Phillies struck for five runs in the eighth and the Mets were left with the ninth inning to try to make a comeback themselves to salvage the game.

Brad Hand replaced Dominguez on the mound for the Phillies in the ninth.

Hand struck out Smith to get the first out of the inning. McCcann then flew out for the second out of the inning. Nimmo then struck out to end the inning as the Mets dropped the series opener to the Phillies 5-4.

Dominguez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) got the win for the Phillies, Lugo (0-1, 7.71 ERA) took the loss for the Mets, and Hand (1) was credited with the save.

The Mets and Phillies will continue their series on Tuesday night. It will be Tylor Megill (1-0, 0.00 ERA) on the mound for the Mets against Zack Wheeler for the Phillies in Wheeler’s season debut.

MMO Mets Player of the Game: David Peterson

Despite taking a no-decision, Monday’s MMO player of the game was David Peterson. Peterson threw four innings, giving up no runs on three hits and struck out three in relief of Walker.