Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Phillies play a three-game series in Philadelphia starting on Friday night...
Preview
Is the Mets' offense about to break out?
Before Francisco Lindor's no-hitter-busting homer and the uprising that followed in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, the Mets' offense had been scuffling badly.
They scored just one run during this past Sunday's loss to the Reds at Citi Field, mustered three in Monday's win over the Jays (with the help of shoddy Toronto defense), plated only two runs in a loss on Tuesday, and were no-hit for the first eight innings on Wednesday.
While the Mets hit into some hard luck against Bowden Francis before Lindor's blast, the majority of the contact they made wasn't good, including plenty of pop-ups. They were also making lots of quick outs.
That obviously changed in a ninth inning that saw Lindor go deep, Pete Alonso battle back from an 0-2 hole to deliver a go-ahead sac fly, and Francisco Alvarez hit a mammoth, game-breaking three-run homer to center field.
It's fair to believe that the hitter's haven that is Citizens Bank Park will help the Mets, but they'll have to overcome a Phillies starting staff that has been excellent this season.
New York will miss Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez during this series, but will still face a tough task against the formidable Aaron Nola, Kolby Allard, and Christopher Sanchez.
The Phillies are banged up but very dangerous
Philadelphia is dealing with injuries to Kyle Schwarber (who is playing through a hyperextended left elbow) and J.T. Realmuto (who has been out since Sept. 7 due to a knee injury).
But both Schwarber and Realmuto are expected to be in the lineup against the Mets on Friday.
One key Phillies player who will remain out is Alec Bohm, who is on the IL due to a left hand strain.
Bohm is in the midst of his best season, slashing .290/.343/.462 with 13 homers and a league-leading 44 doubles.
Meanwhile, Bryce Harper doesn't appear to be 100 percent, and hasn't homered since Aug. 9. But he's hitting incredibly well nonetheless, including a red-hot .441/.500/.618 in 38 plate appearances over nine games this month.
Despite dealing with some injuries, the Phils remain potent. They're 8-2 over their last 10 games, and have scored 714 runs this season -- the third-most in the National League.
New York's bullpen is well-rested, and possibly realigned
The Mets continued to get length from their starters during their three-game set in Toronto, with Tylor Megill (6.0 innings) and Sean Manaea (6.2 innings) bookending the series with strong performances.
Although David Peterson (4.1 innings) struggled on Tuesday, the Mets stayed away from their high-leverage arms while mopping up that game.
That means, coupled with Thursday's day off, New York's bullpen should be fresh and ready to go against the Phillies. There could also be a change to the late-inning hierarchy -- specifically the roles of Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek.
