Mets 2, Phillies 1 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets Record: 87-79
Mets Streak: W2
Mets Last 10: 7-3
WP: Phil Maton (3-3)
LP: Zack Wheeler (16-7)
SV: Edwin Diaz (20)
Seat On The Korner:
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Today's Seat on the Korner goes to Mets' closer Edwin Diaz, who was asked to get the final six outs against the heart of the Phillies' lineup a day after recording the final four outs against Philadelphia. Diaz wasn't perfect, giving up a hit and two walks in his two innings of work, but displayed some elite stuff by piling up four punchouts to secure a critical series victory for the Mets.
Need To Know:
Francisco Lindor went through an intense workout prior to the game and is still targeting Tuesday night for his return to the Mets' lineup.
Kodai Senga experienced triceps tightness following his rehab start yesterday and is done for the regular season. The Mets will let Senga keep throwing in the hope he can contribute in a potential postseason run.
The Mets won this series 3-1 against the Phillies to complete a 6-1 home stand.
This is the final meeting of the regular season between the Mets and Phillies. Philadelphia won the season series 7-6 but the Mets went 4-3 over the past 10 days against the National League East leaders.
The Mets finished their home schedule with a 46-35 record, a three-win improvement over their 2023 record at Citi Field.
This was the first time in Diaz's career that he recorded a six-out save without any rest.
The Mets pulled into a tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second wild card spot in the National League after Arizona blew an 8-0 lead in Milwaukee to fall 10-9 to the Brewers.
The Atlanta Braves won 6-5 in Miami earlier today to maintain their two-game deficit against the Mets for the final playoff spot in the NL.
The Mets' magic number to clinch a playoff berth is 5. Winning two games in Atlanta would secure a postseason berth since the Mets would also secure the season series tiebreaker with that result.
Jose Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 16 games by going 2-for-4 on the night.
J.D. Martinez struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance in the eighth inning and is now 0 for his last 32.
Turning Point:
The turning point in this one was fairly obvious. With the game tied at 1 in the sixth inning, Brandon Nimmo muscled a fastball through the strong winds just over the right field fence to put the Mets up 2-1. That run would put the Mets up for good.
Three Things:
Playoff-Level Atmosphere
With another sell-out crowd treating the game like a postseason contest, Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza played to the moment. Mendoza had a quick hook with starter Tylor Megill, yanking him before Megill could face the top of the Phillies' batting order a third time and using his three most trusted relievers (Phil Maton, Jose Butto and Diaz) to cover the final five innings. A day off tomorrow certainly helped Mendoza's aggressiveness but it was important for him to realize the difference an extra game in the standings means at this time of the season.
Flawless Fill-Ins
The Mets managed to go 6-1 in a week where their MVP candidate didn't play an inning. A big part of that success was due to the fact the Mets' primary Lindor replacements, Iglesias and LuisAngel Acuna, stepped up in a huge way. After Iglesias' early single to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo shared this noteworthy nugget about the Mets' Lindor substitutes.
While no one could expect flawless production from Lindor's replacements, the Mets have gotten plenty of help from their fill-ins, raising the ceiling of the roster when Lindor returns to the lineup at some point this week.
Pete Alonso Feels The Love
Barring potential playoff home games, tonight will be the final time Pete Alonso plays at Citi Field before he hits free agency. Mets' fans in attendance repeatedly showered Alonso with standing ovations to show their appreciation for what he has done for the franchise over the past six years. It wasn't a banner night for Alonso, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, but the applause from the fans surely meant a lot to a player who has expressed how much it means to him to play in this city for this team.
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