The New York Mets’ Pete Alonso, lower left, gives a high five to a teammate after hitting an RBI sacrifice fly during the eighth inning of Game 1 of the MLB NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. Are. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
PHILADELPHIA – Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo led another late comeback in New York, helping the Mets score five runs in the eighth inning against a pair of All-Star relievers as they beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-6 on Saturday in Game 1. Defeated by -2. Their National League Division Series.
“It immediately puts pressure on the other side,” Nimmo said.
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The Mets were hampered by Phillies ace Jack Wheeler, holding him to only one hit while trailing 1–0 after seven innings.
Wheeler was removed after nine strikeouts and a shocking 30 swings and misses on 111 pitches, leaving the Mets – whose whirlwind week included clinching a postseason berth with wins in a makeup doubleheader in Atlanta and three games in the Wild Card Series in Milwaukee – eighth. Bounced against losing pitcher Jeff Hoffman and fellow reliever Matt Stram.
Read: MLB: Mets reach playoffs, bounce back after defeating Braves
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In true New York fashion this October, the Mets had to rally not just on the scoreboard, but with intense scrutiny of each important at-bat.
Francisco Alvarez hit a leadoff single against Hoffman before three straight batters reached base after facing an 0-2 count. Francisco Lindor drew a walk and Vientos followed with the tying single. Nimmo took a 2-1 lead by scoring a goal off Stram.
Pinch-hitter JD Martínez added an RBI single and Pete Alonso, who hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning of the series in Milwaukee, and Starling Marte added a sacrifice fly for the 5-inning of the eighth. 1 lead that sent the Mets into a frenzy in the dugout.
Nimmo added an RBI single in the ninth. All eight of New York’s hits – seven in the final two innings – were singles.
After the last out, New York fans gathered in rows behind their dugout and chanted “Let’s go Mets!” Let’s go mates!”
Leave it to the Mets to win it late — they’ve allowed 18 runs in the eighth and ninth innings in six games since Monday. New York joined the 1980 Phillies and 1999 Mets as the only teams to win consecutive playoff games after trailing in the eighth inning or later.
“One of the things we’ve talked about is finishing games out until the ninth inning,” Vientos said. “And the game never ends until the ninth. We’re kind of going with the same mentality, I feel like last week in Atlanta. Then in the last game in Milwaukee we showed it and it’s giving us more confidence going into it.
READ: MLB: Braves rally in seventh inning to beat Mets
The Phillies were in trouble in Sunday’s Game 2 after Wheeler wasted a great outing.
Citizens Bank Park, once home to Red October, has turned into a nightmare over the past two seasons. The Phillies took a 3–2 series lead in the NLCS last season, but lost Games 6 and 7 to Arizona at home.
Kyle Schwarber launched Kodai Senga’s third pitch into the second deck in right field, increasing his playoff record for leadoff homers to five.
At 425 feet, the homer – a Schwerbomb, as his homers are affectionately called in Philly – went on par with the rest of the hits combined by an anemic offense.
Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos and the rest of the homer-happy attack failed to make a tackle against Senga and four Mets relievers.
Senga was a surprise starter for New York after throwing only 5 1/3 big league innings the entire season due to shoulder and calf injuries. He threw 31 pitches over two innings in his second start of the year. The right-handed batsman scored three runs and scored one run; Schwarber’s homer was the only hit he allowed.
David Peterson, who earned his first career save in the Wild Card Series clincher against Milwaukee, kept the Mets in the game with three innings of shutout relief. Reed Garrett pitched two perfect innings to get the win.
The New York Mets’ Brandon Nimmo (9) and Tyrone Taylor (15) celebrate after winning Game 1 of the MLB NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
“Our bullpen, I don’t know if they’ve gotten enough credit the last few games,” Nimmo said. “We wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in if big old Peterson hadn’t come in, done his job. Incredible. He just finished playing in Milwaukee and now he’s coming in to play a lot of innings for us. Something he was never asked to do. He just comes and does it perfectly.
The Mets were thrilled to have Friday off after a busy week that included a doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday and then three pressure-packed games in Milwaukee.
“It was much needed,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “The intense games, the traveling, the back-and-forth, the doubleheaders, the celebrations, and just everything we went through. So it was really nice to get here and have like a reset day for everybody.”
The reset came from — no, not a playoff pumpkin — but from a pitching staff that struck out eight and silenced Phillies fans who had their red rally towels twirling like helicopter rotor blades from the moment they got them at the gate. Had stopped.
“We have to do small things, and big things will happen; Remove runners, get on base,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We had nine or 10 baserunners. More runs will not be scored than this.”
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The Mets sent RHP Luis Severino to the mound in Game 2. They won Game 1 of the Wild Card Series in Milwaukee. Severino allowed eight hits and four runs – three earned – in six innings.
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The Phillies have All-Star and new father Christopher Sanchez back for Game 2.
