Mets suffer disappointing loss as Philadelphia evens the NLDS 1-1
And after two chaotic weeks on the road, it's finally time to return to Citi Field
What’s Up with the Mets? 🚩
The Mets suffered a disappointing 7-6 loss to the Phillies in game two of the NLDS on Sunday (Box)
Luis Severino started for the Mets and was excellent for 5.2 innings before back-to-back home runs from Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos spoiled his night. He finished with a final line of 6 innings, 3 runs, six hits, no walks, and seven punchouts
Mark Vientos enjoyed a monster night for New York, connecting on a pair of two run home runs and adding a double
Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso each hit a solo home run for the Mets
Nursing a one run lead, Edwin Diaz entered in the 7th and struck Kyle Schwarber out to end the frame. But the 8th was not as kind, as hits from Castellanos and Bryson Stott led to three Philadelphia runs
Tylor Megill came in after Diaz, and ultimately served up the walk-off game winning hit to Castellanos who seemingly was everywhere in this one
The Mets are now 55-42 in postseason play - their .567 winning percentage is the third-best in baseball history (Marlins 24-16, .600 and the Yankees 245-178, .579)
Did you know? ⁉️
Mark Vientos went 3-4 with two home runs, a double, and 4 RBI on Sunday. At 24 years and 300 days, he became the youngest player in National League history to collect three extra-base hits in a postseason game
The Mets bullpen 🫣
The Mets bullpen has a 4.82 ERA in five playoff games so far this year
They’ve allowed 12 walks and four home runs in 18.2 IP in the five games
They are just 1-for-3 in save chances, having blown two saves in the five games
Moment of the Game ⭐
There were a plethora of candidates for Moment of the Game honors on Sunday, but the best answer is the simplest one, unfortunately for the Mets.
After Mark Vientos had just tied the game with a home run in the top of the 9th, Tylor Megill retired both Austin Hays and Kyle Schwarber to begin the bottom of the frame. The Mets needed just one more out to prolong the game and carry their momentum into extra innings, but after consecutive walks to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos sent a line drive down the left field line for the walk-off winner, tying the NLDS for the Phillies at 1-1.
The Mets and Phillies are off today as the NLDS shifts to New York for Game 3 on Tuesday.
At long last, the Mets return to Citi Field ✍️
Exactly two weeks ago the Mets defeated the Phillies on Sunday Night Baseball at Citi Field, but I think I speak for everyone involved with this team when I say that feels like an absolute eternity ago.
Since then the Mets have experienced a whirlwind of events and emotions, and every one of them have come on the road. Following that game, New York flew to Atlanta, played a game, survived a hurricane, flew to Milwaukee, played three games, went back to Atlanta for a double header, immediately went back to Milwaukee for a tension filled Wild Card round, and then spent the last three days in Philadelphia. Got all that?
When the Mets were completing their last regular season homestand, manager Carlos Mendoza vowed that the team would be back, and there would be more baseball played at Citi Field this fall.
He was right.
At long last, the Mets are returning home, and despite Sunday’s disappointing result, they’re doing so in excellent shape in this Division Series.
If you’d told us prior to the weekend beginning that the Mets would split the games in Philly and return home with Sean Manaea on the mound and Citi Field rocking, I think we all would have signed up for that.
And to me, that’s the real moral of the story here.
Sure, the Mets had a chance to come home up 2-0, but it could have easily been down 0-2 as well if not for their continued late-inning magic, really in both of the first two games of this playoff series against an excellent Phillies team and bullpen.
Since opening in 2009, Citi Field has played host to only 11 playoff games. The Mets are 5-6 in those contests.
But as Rich wrote yesterday, everything about this team just feels different this year.
The Mets have experienced countless unexpected vibe boosts, and in just the last week they’ve played a couple of the most memorable games in franchise history.
Why can’t this season end the way only two Mets seasons have before?
The next step towards making that dream a reality begins tomorrow night, and it’s already a foregone conclusion the Mets fans will pack Citi Field and make the atmosphere as hostile for the Phillies as humanely possible.
Manaea started against the Phillies and earned the win during that September weekend series I just alluded to, while his opponent tomorrow night, Aaron Nola, is someone the Mets are very familiar with and just beat in September.
To me, it’s imperative the Mets get off to a fast start in game three, jump out to a lead, get the crowd behind them, and try to ride that wave of momentum. Everybody prefers playing at home, but after everything that has just happened, this team has to be ecstatic about making it back to New York with the proverbial dog still very much in the proverbial fight.
Now let’s go bury this team in our own backyard.
The Championship Chase 🏆
The Padres smashed six home runs including a pair from Fernando Tatis Jr. as they annihilated the Dodgers 10-2 to even their series at one apiece
San Diego’s offense was obviously the story in that game, but let’s not overlook Yu Darvish, who went seven spectacular innings while allowing just a run on three hits
I hope Citi Field is deafening.
Not excited with skip putting Diaz in the 7th inning. Sends a bad message to the rest of the bullpen