PHILADELPHIA — The Mets outdid themselves again — and so did the Phillies’ bullpen.
Down six heading into the ninth inning, the Mets scored seven runs to catapult themselves to an 8-7 victory. Francisco Lindor provided the early spark with a two-run home run, Brandon Nimmo tied it with a two-out, two-run single and Starling Marte put the Mets ahead with an RBI double on the very next pitch.
Edwin Diaz retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to solidify the Mets’ most dramatic win in a series of them in this month-old season.
The Mets are 19-9. The Phillies are 11-15.
The final frame began as a blowout. Phillies manager Joe Girardi turned to James Norwood to close it out, but he allowed four of five batters to reach base. That forced closer Corey Knebel into the game, but he wasn’t any better.
The late excitement completely changed the feeling surrounding the game, which began with Taijuan Walker allowing seven runs (six earned) in four innings.
The Phillies’ four-run rally in the opening inning happened fast, with of Walker’s first seven batters reaching base. Kyle Schwarber walked, and Alec Bohm reached when Lindor bobbled his would-be double-play grounder, putting two runners on base with no outs. Bryce Harper lined an RBI double into the leftfield corner to open the scoring. Nick Castellanos’ groundout yielded another run. J.T. Realmuto added an RBI single struck solidly to center. Rhys Hoskins walked, triggering a mound visit from pitching coach Jermey Hefner.
Walker mostly settled in from there, allowing Jean Segura’s single that brought in the final run but retiring the next two batters to prevent Schwarber from batting a second time in the inning.
The Phillies’ four runs in the first inning alone topped their average of 3.5 runs per game in six contests against the Mets entering the night.
Schwarber doubled to lead off the bottom of the second and scored on Castellanos’ groundout. Harper and Castellanos went deep in the fourth.
That ugliness represented a stark departure from Walker’s effectiveness in his first two starts (one of which was shortened by injury). In those games, both against the Phillies, he tossed seven scoreless innings.
Manager Buck Showalter had hoped for better from Walker — for competitiveness purposes, of course, but also practically speaking, seeking to get Walker reaccustomed to making regular, full-length starts. He threw 80 pitches Thursday, just seven more than his previous outing. In that sense, he is still getting his pitch count and endurance up to where it would be near the end of a normal spring training.
Righthander Aaron Nola was excellent, holding the Mets to one run and three hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
After some tension last weekend at Citi Field, the only evidence of it at Citizens Bank Park came in the sixth inning, when Mets righthander Adonis Medina plunked his first batter, Castellanos, in the right wrist with a changeup. Castellanos, in clear pain, lingered before making his way to first base; plate umpire Phil Cuzzi positioned himself between Castellanos and the mound.
Castellanos exited the game with what the Phillies called a contusion. X-rays were negative.
Medina tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings, holding Philadelphia at bay and giving the lineup a chance to come back. He has retired 10 of 12 batters faced in his two major-league outings this year.
