The New York Mets (66-63) defeated the Philadelphia Phillies (59-70) by a score of 12-1 tonight at Citi Field. The Cardinals were also defeated tonight, so the Mets pull to within 2.5 games of the second wild card spot.
Pitching:
Noah Syndergaard was magnificent for the Amazin’s tonight, firing seven dominant innings, allowing just one run – a solo homer to Freddy Galvis in the third – on two hits, while striking out seven and walking two.
Jim Henderson pitched a clean eighth, and Josh Smoker recorded two strikeouts in the ninth to seal the win for New York.
Offense:
The Mets did what you are supposed to do against losing teams tonight, they beat the heck out of the Phillies, scoring 12 runs on 13 hits.
The Phillies actually held a lead at one point tonight in the third inning, but it was short lived, as the Mets answered back in the bottom half of the frame on a two run blast from Asdrubal Cabrera.
The Mets tacked on three more in the third inning as Yoenis Cespedes blasted his 26th long ball of the year to left to extend the Mets lead to 5-1 at the time.
In the seventh is when the Mets really poured it on, however. Alejandro De Aza doubled in a pair, and then Kelly Johnson thoroughly blew the doors off the hinges with a grand slam to make it 11-1 Mets.
Neil Walker, for good measure, hit a solo shot in the eighth, his 23rd of the year to tie a career high.
Every Met in the lineup recorded a hit tonight, except for James Loney and Curtis Granderson who went a combine 0-for-9.
On deck:
The Mets will look for the sweep tomorrow afternoon, with Robert Gsellman (1-0, 0.00 ERA) making his first big league start, taking on Vince Velasquez (8-6, 4.31 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 PM.
