PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo keyed another late New York comeback, helping the Mets break through for five runs in the eighth inning against a pair of All-Star relievers as they rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-2, on Saturday in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. “It puts pressure on the other side right away,” Nimmo said. The Mets had been stymied by Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, held to just one hit while trailing 1-0 after seven innings.
With Wheeler lifted after nine strikeouts and a startling 30 swings-and-misses over 111 pitches, the Mets – whose whirlwind week included a victory in a makeup doubleheader at Atlanta to clinch a postseason spot and three games in the Wild Card Series at Milwaukee – pounced against losing pitcher Jeff Hoffman and fellow reliever Matt Strahm in the eighth. In true New York fashion this October, the Mets had to rally, not just on the scoreboard, but with a gut-check in each critical at-bat. Francisco Alvarez hit a leadoff single against Hoffman before three straight batters reached base after facing 0-2 counts.
Francisco Lindor worked a walk and Vientos followed with a tying single. Nimmo laced a go-ahead single off Strahm past a drawn-in infield for a 2-1 lead. Pinch-hitter J.
D. Martinez added an RBI single and Pete Alonso, who hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the ninth inning of the series clincher in Milwaukee, and Starling Marte each added a sacrifice fly in the eighth for a 5-1 lead .