The Mets scored late to snap their three-game losing streak, beating the Phillies, 5-4 on Saturday.
Here are some takeaways from Saturday's rivalry matchup...
1. The Mets desperately needed an offensive outburst, and they got it in the first inning. More on it later, but it was all they got for a while. They had just two base-runners in innings two through eight after scoring four runs in the first.
But Michael Conforto erased all of that, as he hit the game-winning home run, a solo shot, off Hector Neris to open up the ninth inning. Conforto is now hitting .320 (8-for-25) in his last seven games.
2. Back to that first inning. After Brandon Nimmo struck out, the Mets had five straight batters reach base off former Met Zack Wheeler. Francisco Lindor was hit by a pitch, Jeff McNeil walked, and then Pete Alonso’s ground-rule double opened up the scoring. Then, Michael Conforto lined a ball to left that was misplayed by Andrew McCutchen, and it was ruled a two-run double. J.D. Davis continued his hot stretch and drove in Conforto with a single of his own. Dominic Smith also extended his hitting streak at Citizens Bank Park to 15 games. The Mets scored more runs in the first inning than they did their previous three games combined. It was the jumpstart the Mets needed.
3. After a single and double to lead off the second, Andrew Knapp’s groundout gave the Phillies’ their first run of the afternoon. Wheeler helped his own cause with an RBI single two batters later. That was all the damage Taijuan Walker allowed, until Alec Bohm blasted a game-tying two-run home run in the sixth inning. It was the first home run Walker allowed this year, and it cost the righty a quality start. In all, Walker allowed four runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out four in six innings of work.
4. Nimmo and Davis both left the game in the seventh inning. Nimmo suffered a left index finger contusion on a swing, but X-rays were negative, while Davis later left the game with a sprained left hand.
5. Aaron Loup came into relief in the seventh and benefitted from a bad call that turned into a double play. We’ll explain – Lindor missed a tag on McCutchen running to second base, but then threw to first to get Matt Joyce, who was initially called safe. McCutchen was ruled to run out of the baseline – which he did not, but it’s not reviewable. The call at first was challenged by New York, and reversed. Thus, an inning-ending double play.
6. Trevor May tossed a scoreless eighth, and has now had eight straight scoreless outings since allowing two runs in the Mets' first game of the season.
7. Edwin Diaz continued his dominance that he started in the 2020 season, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning to record the save.
With Loup, May, and Diaz tossing three scoreless innings of relief, the Mets bullpen has not allowed a run in 19 consecutive innings.