In mid-September, a National League East team made a significant statement, but it wasn’t the one currently holding the best record in baseball.
Francisco Alvarez and Brandon Nimmo each hit three-run home runs in the fifth inning, leading the New York Mets to an 11-3 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies in the opening game of a crucial three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. Despite the Phillies having a strong lead over the Mets in the NL East standings, the Mets, who have posted a 57-33 record since June 1—the second-best in baseball—looked like a team ready for a deep postseason run.
The Mets are battling for a playoff spot, currently holding the final NL Wild Card position with less than two weeks remaining. They are just one game behind the San Diego Padres for the No. 5 seed and one game ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the last Wild Card spot following their victory.
Aaron Nola struggled, giving up six runs in a fifth inning where he managed only one out. He allowed consecutive singles to Jose Iglesias and Tyrone Taylor before Alvarez hit a three-run homer off the foul pole, putting the Mets ahead 3-0.
The inning continued to unravel for Nola. Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos hit singles before Brandon Nimmo’s three-run blast made it 6-0, leading to Nola’s departure from the game. He finished with 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on six hits, causing his ERA to rise from 3.41 to 3.62.
“Made some bad pitches,” Nola admitted about the fifth inning. “I left some balls over the plate, including two bad curveballs. One just slipped out of my hand and stayed over the plate too much. I need to eliminate those big innings.”
Nola was notably frustrated, as this was his first winless game since the All-Star Break, and he hasn’t pitched beyond the fifth inning in his last two starts.
“Obviously, Nola’s a competitor, and this was a big game for us,” said Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto. “It’s clear why he’d be frustrated after such a game. He wants to perform well for the team, but we didn’t score many runs, so it didn’t matter much. Nola just wanted to pitch better.”
The Phillies’ offense was lackluster, managing only three hits. Bryce Harper’s first-inning double went to waste as Nick Castellanos grounded out. The Phillies didn’t advance a runner to second base until there were two outs in the ninth, when Brandon Marsh hit a three-run homer, his 15th of the year, to make it 11-3.
Harrison Bader added a three-run home run in the eighth inning, pushing the Mets’ lead to 10-0. The Mets totaled 14 hits and went 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
With the Phillies holding a seven-game lead over the Mets with 15 games remaining, they still control the NL East. A win on Saturday could widen the gap further, leaving the Mets with even less time to close the division gap.
“The series is crucial for us,” Realmuto said. “Every series and game seems more important now. It’s frustrating to lose so decisively, especially in a game of this magnitude.”
In another development, Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber left Tuesday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays with left elbow discomfort. Schwarber, who hit a 437-foot home run to start the game—breaking Alfonso Soriano’s record for most leadoff homers in a season with his 14th—appeared to injure his elbow while diving back to first base during a pickoff attempt.
He later scored on Trea Turner’s home run but was pinch-hit for in the fourth inning by Buddy Kennedy. Schwarber, 31, had hit his 35th home run of the season and raised his average to .251 before exiting. He also has 95 RBIs and a league-leading 98 walks in 134 games this season.
