Phillies Dominate Mets with a Six-Run Seventh Inning, Ascend to NL East Lead
In a commanding display, Bryson Stott delivered a bases-clearing triple during a six-run seventh inning, propelling the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-2 victory over the struggling New York Mets on Friday night. This win marked the Phillies' ascent to first place in the NL East, showcasing their recent form with eight victories in their last nine games.
Nick Castellanos contributed to the offensive onslaught with a home run, while the Mets saw Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil each hit homers, though their efforts were overshadowed by a seventh consecutive loss.
The Mets' troubles began in the seventh inning when reliever Reed Garrett (2-3) failed to retire any of the five batters he faced. The inning opened poorly for him, as he allowed doubles to both Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner, setting the stage for Philadelphia's offensive explosion.
Alec Bohm's RBI single put the Phillies ahead 4-2, effectively ending Garrett's night on the mound. Justin Garza then entered but quickly surrendered an RBI single to Castellanos before Stott's powerful drive off the left-center wall extended the lead further.
Earlier in the game, Phillies starter Zack Wheeler managed five scoreless innings, but the Mets capitalized against Taijuan Walker in the sixth. Alonso launched a 90-mph cutter into the batter's eye for his 18th home run of the season, followed by McNeil tying the game with a shot to right field.
After Walker recorded an out and allowed a single, Tanner Banks (2-0) came in and effectively silenced the Mets' bats over 1 2/3 innings.
Stott's hit was particularly thrilling as J.T. Realmuto closely followed him home, sliding in just as Stott reached third base.
Defensively, first baseman Otto Kemp made significant contributions, filling in for injured slugger Bryce Harper. He executed four strong defensive plays, including catching foul balls from Tyrone Taylor and making a diving stop on Juan Soto's hard liner to end the inning.
Looking ahead, Mets right-hander Griffin Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA) is set to face off against Philadelphia's Mick Abel (2-0, 2.21) on Saturday night.