Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets (11-11) enjoyed a late inning rally against the Philadelphia Phillies (13-15) and secured a close 8-7 victory on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. In the process, New York also captured the series win.

New York scored six runs in the eighth, but Edwin Diaz nearly blew the lead in the bottom of the ninth on a hit that was nearly a game-tying three-run home run that was ultimately reversed and gave the Mets a second life that they didn’t squander..

David Peterson toed the rubber for New York Sunday evening, and had a rocky first, but recovered and put in a very strong outing.

In that first frame, Peterson served up a rocket of a home run to Andrew McCutchen that touched down on the concourse in center field at Citizen’s Bank Park.

Rhys Hoskins followed up McCutchen’s bomb with a walk, and Bryce Harper singled as Philadelphia looked to bust the game open right out of the gate. However, Peterson settled down and struck out J.T. Realmuto, then induced a beautiful double play that Jeff McNeil started after picking a 108 mph laser off the bat of Alec Bohm.

In the second, Dominic Smith hit a fly ball to McCutchen out in left, but the outfielder was unable to handle it, allowing Smith to coast into second.

Kevin Pillar followed up with a single up the middle, and Smith was waved home, but was hosed at the plate by a missile fired in by center fielder Roman Quinn.

Peterson proceeded to strike out the side in the bottom half of the frame, then the Mets’ ultimately got even in the third anyway. McNeil doubled, then Conforto singled two batters later to drive him in.

The Mets’ southpaw kept rolling to start the third, striking out the first two, but labored through a lot of pitches before he could end the inning. Rhys Hoskins punched a single through the open hole up the middle, and Bryce Harper walked, but Realmuto finally flew out to end the frame.

The game would remain scoreless until the sixth when the Mets went out in front. Like a repeat of the second, Smith doubled and Pillar singled up the middle, but this time, Smith held at third and opted not to test Quinn’s arm.

After Jonathan Villar struck out, James McCann hit a comebacker to Phillies’ pitcher Zach Eflin, who knocked the ball down, then fired errantly to second which pulled the fielder off the bag, while Smith came in to score.

Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

New York went on to load the bases in the sixth, but the struggling Francisco Lindor flew out to kill the threat.

Miguel Castro came in to relieve Peterson, who went five innings and struck out eight while yielding just one run.

Harper led off the inning and tapped a ball back to Castro, who bobbled and threw to first too late as Harper beat it out. Alec Bohm shot one to left, then Didi Gregorius promptly drove everyone home, as he rocked a three-run jack to right field to give Philadelphia a 4-2 lead.

In the eighth, Kevin Pillar cut into the deficit with a solo shot to left off Phillies’ reliever Brandon Kintzler for his first long ball as a Met.

Jonathan Villar followed up with a single, then showed off his wheels as he came around to score on a grounder from Jose Peraza that kicked off the glove of Phillies’ first baseman Rhys Hoskins.

Hoskins, who was upset that he didn’t make the play, flipped the ball to the second baseman while in shallow right field, so Villar came home to tie the game on a heads up baserunning decision.

After the Peraza base knock, Jose Alvarado, who ignited the benches clearing on Friday, came in and served up a single to Jeff McNeil, then walked Lindor. His erratic pitching continued when Michael Conforto came to bat, and he ultimately walked in a run before being yanked.

David Hale came in to put out the Mets’ fire, but ended up just pouring more kerosene on it, as Pete Alonso busted the game open with a bases clearing double to right central.

Trevor May came on in the eighth staked to a four-run lead and turned in a spotless inning to lower his season ERA to 1.93.

In the ninth, closer Edwin Diaz came in and shut the door for the Mets in a non-save situation, but allowed an RBI triple to Roman Quinn as the Phillies inched a bit closer to make it a 8-5 game.

Rhys Hoskins then nearly tied the game, but his “three-run home run” was reversed upon replay and ultimately was changed to a double.

Diaz exited with an injury, but Jeurys Familia came in and shut the door by striking out Bryce Harper. What a game.

The Mets will embark on a four-game series with the Cardinals in St. Louis starting Monday. The starter for the Mets is TBA, with longtime foe Adam Wainwright taking the ball for the Cards.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. and can be seen on SNY.

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