What turned out to be a gorgeous night for baseball hinted that the worst of the cold is over.
The winter jackets were left at home, and cameras were out for the sunset.
But as the weather changes and the sample size grows, there have been no signs yet of the Mets pitching staff giving in to the whims of a long season: Their hot start only got hotter.
The best pitching staff in baseball continued its excellence. An offense that has done enough did enough and did its best work in the clutch.
Defense that generally has looked above average looked better than that.
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The Mets have taken a step up in competition and have kept on rolling, sealing a series victory over the Phillies with a well-played 5-1 win in front of 36,468 on Tuesday at Citi Field.
The Mets (17-7) have won six straight and will seek a sweep from the NL East’s second-place team Wednesday afternoon.
One of the most powerful offenses in baseball has scored in two frames in 18 innings of the series.
Behind Griffin Canning, Huascar Brazobán, A.J. Minter, Ryne Stanek and José Buttó, the Mets lowered their MLB-best ERA to 2.37.
Griffin Canning pitches in the first inning of the Mets’ 5-1 win over the Phillies on April 22, 2025. Robert Sabo for NY PostIt started with Canning, who consistently danced around trouble to let up just one run in five innings.
A flier of a signing owns a 3.12 ERA through five starts.
“It’s been fun. We all kind of feed off each other,” Canning said of a rotation that has not allowed a homer in 11 straight games, tied for the fifth longest such streak in franchise history. “We’re all having fun in the dugout. … It’s awesome being with these guys.”
On this night, the pitching staff had help: Pete Alonso’s balletic, backhanded scoop on a one-hopper from Mark Vientos saved a run in the second inning.
Mark Vientos reacts after hitting an RBI double to drive home Juan Soto during the first inning of the Mets’ win over the Phillies. JASON SZENES/ NY POST“I think he’s probably the best in the game at [scoops],” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Vientos and a leaping Luisangel Acuña hooked up for a double play in the sixth.
Two innings later, Tyrone Taylor charged in on a shallow fly ball from Nick Castellanos and deked as if he would miss the ball.
He hoped Kyle Schwarber would wander too far off first base, which is what happened.
Pete Alonso reacts after he hits an RBI double, driving home Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor during the seventh inning of the Mets’ win over the Phillies. JASON SZENES/ NY POSTA strong, one-hopped throw and another pick from Alonso created a double play.
“I learned that from Jackie Bradley Jr.,” Taylor said of the fake.
The defense helped the pitching staff thrive, beginning with Canning, who against the powerful Phillies simply survived.
He was not dominant, but he was strong when he needed to be in stranding seven runners on base in his five innings.
Luisangel Acuña completes a double play after forcing out Max Kepler out at second base during the sixth inning of the Mets’ win over the Phillies. JASON SZENES/ NY POSTThe Phillies only scored in the second, when a J.T. Realmuto double, Alec Bohm infield single and Johan Rojas single turned into a run.
But Vientos and Alonso teamed up to retire Trea Turner so Canning could escape further danger.
“I think I got into a little bit of a better rhythm [later in the game],” said Canning, who began landing his slider and bringing it to the bottom of the zone. “Definitely going to have those games where things might not feel as in sync.”
On a day he did not feel his best, he still was at his best when he had to be.
He pitched around a leadoff single in the fourth. In the fifth, the Phillies put runners on second and third, but Canning used a nasty changeup and slider to get Castellanos swinging, fired-up walking off the mound.
Brazobán, Minter, Stanek and Buttó took over and combined to allow one hit over four scoreless innings. The Mets bullpen ERA has shrunk to 2.47.
The club’s arms did not need much from their offense, which responded by coming through with timely hits.
The Mets were 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position and scored all five of their runs with two outs.
A Vientos RBI double scored a run in the first inning, and an inning later Francisco Lindor singled (his first of three hits) for a second run, the last one they would need.
The Mets added on with two outs in the seventh, when Alonso smoked an RBI double.
After walks to Vientos and pinch-hitting Jesse Winker, Luis Torrens knocked a two-run single and spiked his bat on the way to first base in celebration.
Torrens’ hitting has helped. His handling of the game’s best staff thus far has been more noteworthy.
“Guys are going out there, taking the ball, giving us a chance to win baseball games, attacking the strike zone,” Mendoza said, “and it’s fun.”
