PHILADELPHIA — The Mets had the Philadelphia Phillies on the ropes three times in Game 2 of the NLDS. They took a lead, then extended it. Twice, the Phillies took a lead, only to see the Mets come back and tie the game in the top of the ninth inning when Mark Vientos hit his second home run of the game.
But the Phillies, channeling their inner Rocky Balboa, finished the second round of what is shaping up to be a heavyweight fight of a series, with three runs off the closer in the eighth inning. Tylor Megill walked two hitters with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before giving up a single to Nick Castellanos, and Philadelphia walked it off 7-6.
The series is even at 1-1 as it moves back to Citi Field for Games 3 and 4, starting Tuesday.
With one out and the Mets down by two runs, Francisco Lindor smoked a single up the middle off left-hander Matt Strahm. It was on the ground, but at 105 MPH off the bat, it was too hard for shortstop Trea Turner to glove it. That brought up Vientos, who homered off left-handed starter Christopher Sanchez to open the scoring in the third inning.
He botched a transfer with a runner on third in the eighth, allowing the Phillies to score an insurance run.
Never mind the dropped ball, Vientos sent this one into the left field stands to score two and tie the game at 6-6.
Right-hander Luis Severino and Sanchez gave up two home runs, a two-run blast (Vientos off Sanchez, Bryce Harper off Severino) and solo shots (Pete Alonso off Sanchez, and Castellanos off Severino).
With the Mets up 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Severino got the first two outs before Turner singled to left field. While Harper walked to the plate, Francisco Alvarez called a meeting on the mound to talk to give his pitcher a breath. Severino got ahead 1-2 before missing with a fastball, evening it at 2-2. He reached back to 99 MPH on the next pitch — another four-seam fastball, his key pitch — but he left it up.
Way up.
Harper hit it way back over the center field fence, cutting the Mets’ lead to just one run. Castellanos then followed with his own to tie the game at 3-3.
The crowd was back in it. After booing Castellanos for swinging and missing earlier, the Philly faithful celebrated him once again. Citizens Bank Park was practically shaking.
Sanchez went five innings while Severino went six. They were each charged with three earned runs.
Not to be outdone, Brandon Nimmo homered with two outs in the top of the seventh off right-hander Orion Kerkering, putting the Mets ahead once again.
The lead was in the balance in the bottom of the seventh after Jose Butto put two on with two out. The Mets brought in Diaz to face Kyle Schwarber and the top of the order, if he reached base. This was clearly where manager Carlos Mendoza felt the leverage was the highest. The closer is technically the pitcher a manager calls in the highest-leverage innings.
It’s one of those moves that makes a manager look good if it works, and angers a fanbase if it doesn’t. It’s what Buck Showalter did with Diaz in Game 2 of the 2022 Wild Card series. It worked two years ago, and it looked as though it would work this time too.
Schwarber battled the right-hander for seven pitches, working the count full before checking his swing on a slider in the dirt. Alvarez blocked it, while the umpires called Schwarber out, saying he went around for strike 3.
But then the Mets went down in order in the top of the eighth and with one out, Diaz walked Harper and gave up a single to Castellanos. With the count full, Bryson Stott drilled a ball to the exact right spot in right field he needed to in order to send home both runners. The Phillies took a 5-4 lead and the Mets pulled Diaz for right-hander Tylor Megill.
J.T. Realmuto sent a chopper to Vientos at third base. He squared to throw home, but he dropped the ball on the transfer and Stott came home safely.