Mets third baseman Mark Vientos channeled his inner Hulk as he reached second base after driving in the tying run in the eighth inning, marking yet another highlight in a season full of them.
Throughout Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Phillies on Saturday, the Mets struggled to find a significant hit against Philadelphia’s starter Zack Wheeler. However, they gained momentum once he was taken out. With runners on first and second, Vientos delivered a crucial RBI single to left field, sparking a comeback. The Mets followed up with four more runs in the eighth, combining singles, walks, and productive outs.
This five-run inning gave the Mets a four-run lead, leading to a 6-2 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets now need just two more wins to advance to the NL Championship Series.
It’s a lesson opponents should already know: never underestimate the Mets.
Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, seen in the lower left, celebrates with a teammate after hitting an RBI sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, October 5, 2024, in Philadelphia.
The crucial eighth inning also included RBI singles from Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Martinez, along with sacrifice flies from Pete Alonso and Starling Marte.
However, the Mets struggled against Wheeler for the first seven innings. The former Mets pitcher delivered a scoreless outing, throwing 111 pitches and achieving a career-high of 30 swings and misses. He allowed only one hit—a lead-off single to Vientos in the fourth—while striking out nine and walking four.
The Mets executed their pitching strategy effectively against the Phillies, though the game didn’t start as planned.
In Kodai Senga’s return from a calf injury and his first start since July 26, he gave up a lead-off home run to Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. This marked Schwarber’s fifth career lead-off home run in the playoffs, launching the ball 425 feet into the second deck in right field.
Despite the home run, Senga did not allow any further hits. In his two innings, the 30-year-old right-hander surrendered one run, walked one, and struck out three, throwing 31 pitches. Besides the homer, he appeared in control, with his forkball generating three swings—all misses.
If the series reaches a Game 5, Senga might be an option to start again, potentially increasing his pitch limit to around 45 pitches.
Left-hander David Peterson took over for Senga in the third inning, allowing just one hit and keeping the Phillies scoreless over three innings.
While Peterson walked three batters, he managed to strand all of them, maintaining the score at 1-0.
Following Peterson, three Mets relievers combined for three scoreless innings, giving up only two hits and leaving two runners on base—keeping the game close enough for the Mets’ hitters to make their move.
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