Buck Showalter can read the National League East standings as well as you can, and he admits to doing so even at this relatively early stage of the season.
“I look at them,” the Mets manager said before Sunday night’s 5-4 victory over the Phillies at Citi Field. “I mean, heck there it is. That's what we're all competing for. I know we're in first place.”
Sure enough, they are, and have reached Memorial Day – the season’s first major milepost – with the largest divisional lead in the major leagues.
They are 32-17 and 8 ½ games ahead of second-place Atlanta, with the Phillies, Marlins and Nationals filling out the rest of a disappointing field.
The latest drama came in sweeping the Phillies on a single to rightfield by Eduardo Escobar that scored Starling Marte from second base in the bottom of the 10th inning.
In the eighth, Adam Ottavino gave up a three-run home run to Nick Castellanos to put the Phillies ahead, 4-3. But then Nick Plummer tied it with a solo home run into the upper deck in rightfield leading off the ninth inning against Corey Knebel.
It was Plummer’s first major-league hit in his first major-league start. He became the 14th Met to hit a home run for his first major league hit and the first since Jeremy Hefner 10 years ago Sunday, also against the Phillies at Citi Field.
Showalter has been around long enough to know nothing is guaranteed, and is keeping a wary eye on the posse that will chase the Mets – or at least try to – in the coming weeks.
“I look at it as a given that they're going to be there,” he said of the Mets’ division rivals. “I see so many good teams in our division; they’re going to find their level.
“So to me, it’s kind of a given that they're going to do things more reflective of what they're capable of. So I don't pay a lot of attention [to the standings] . . . It's not a topic. Guys are kind of focused on the nine innings ahead and what we can do each day presents a different challenge.”
He added, “It’s a long season. Barely played a quarter of the season. So whatever's happened in the first quarter can flip very quickly, and you're talking about a complete different situation.”
The Mets took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off former Met Zack Wheeler.
It began with Luis Guillorme doubling to leftfield, followed by a Starling Marte single.
Guillorme scored from third when the Phillies botched fielding a ground ball by Francisco Lindor. First baseman Rhys Hoskins made a throwing error seeking an out at second.
Following a bloop single to right by Pete Alonso, the Mets scored two more runs, on a fielder’s choice by Escobar and a groundout by Mark Canha.
Odubel Herrera led off the Phillies’ third with a fly ball to leftfield that Plummer slid to catch but watched soar over him. It was ruled a double. Herrera later scored when Alec Bohm grounded into a double play to make it 3-1.
Mets starter Chris Bassitt was sharp, allowing one run and two hits, walking three and striking out seven in six innings.
Drew Smith relieved him in the seventh but left after three batters when he dislocated his right pinkie finger trying to field a single by J.T. Realmuto with his bare pitching hand.
The Phillies (21-27) got runners on first and second against Joely Rodriguez, both on walks, with one out in the eighth, then Rodriguez got Bryce Harper to fly out.
But Ottavino relieved Rodriguez and gave up the home run to left by Castellano.
It was another inspiring victory for the Mets. But still, it was the day before Memorial Day, three days before June and three weeks before summer is too soon to chill the champagne.
When asked before the game about the holiday being a checkpoint for getting a sense of one’s team, Showalter said, “I think it's a little early. I think it’s a lot early . . . In a week’s time, the narrative completely changes.”
The Mets hope not.
