Even with short appearance, Messi leaves indelible impression in Toronto
There would be no slalom-like runs through Toronto’s defence for Messi. No free kicks scored from an impossible distance, no moment of Messi magic. But it didn’t matter. He was in Toronto, and fans were grateful.
PHILADELPHIA — Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo keyed another late comeback in New York’s electric run through the National League playoffs, 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 Division Series.
The Mets had been stymied by Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, held to just one hit while trailing 1-0 and unable to muster any real scoring chances over the first 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 post-season 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 in the Wild Card Series clincher in Milwaukee, and Starling Marte each added a sacrifice fly in the eighth for a 5-1 lead that sent the Mets into a frenzy in the dugout.
Nimmo added an RBI single in the ninth. All eight of New York’s hits — seven in the final two innings — were singles.
After the last out, Mets fans crowded the rows behind their dugout and chanted, “Let’s Go Mets! Let’s Go Mets!”
Leave it to the Mets to win this one late — they have scored 18 runs in the eighth and ninth innings over six games since Monday. New York joined the 1980 Phillies and 1999 Mets as the only teams to win consecutive playoff games after trailing in the eighth inning or later.
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The Phillies were left reeling headed into Sunday’s Game 2 after they wasted Wheeler’s splendid outing.
Citizens Bank Park, once home to Red October, has turned into a nightmare the last two seasons. The Phillies held a 3-2 series lead last season in the NLCS but lost Games 6 and 7 to Arizona at home.
Kyle Schwarber launched Kodai Senga’s third pitch into the second deck in right field, extending his playoff record for leadoff homers to five.
At 425 feet, the homer — a Schwarbomb, as his homers are affectionately called in Philly — went about as far as the rest of the hits combined by an anemic offence.
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Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, and the rest of a homer-happy offence failed to tack on against Senga and four Mets relievers.
Senga was a surprise starter for New York after throwing just 5 1/3 major league innings all season because of shoulder and calf injuries. He lasted two innings in his second start of the year, throwing 31 pitches. The right-hander struck out three and walked one; Schwarber’s homer was the only hit he allowed.
David Peterson, who earned his first career save in the Wild Card Series clincher against Milwaukee, kept the Mets in the game with three innings of shutout relief. Reed Garrett tossed two perfect innings for the win.
The Mets were thrilled just to have Friday off after a wild week that included a doubleheader Monday in Atlanta and then three pressure-packed games in Milwaukee.
“It was much needed,” manager Carlos Mendoza said ahead of Game 1. “Intense games, the traveling, the back-and-forth, doubleheader, celebrations, and just everything that we went through. So being able to get here and have kind of like a reset day for everyone was really good.”
The reset came from — no, not from a playoff pumpkin — but a pitching staff that struck out eight and muted Phillies fans who had spun their red rally towels like helicopter rotor blades from the moment they snagged them at the gate.
UP NEXT
The Mets send RHP Luis Severino to the mound in Game 2. He won Game 1 of the Wild Card Series in Milwaukee. Severino allowed eight hits and four runs — three earned — in six innings.
The Phillies have All-Star and new dad Cristopher Sánchez on the mound for Game 2.
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