An already waterlogged Mets lineup got further soaked for much of Tuesday’s opener of a doubleheader against the Phillies, but at least there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Jonathan Villar slashed an eighth-inning RBI single against Hector Neris that completed a wild Mets comeback in a 4-3 victory over the Phillies at Citi Field.
The Mets, who hadn’t faced live pitching in three days following a game suspended in the first inning against the Marlins and a rainout Monday, staggered into extra innings, but got hits when they were needed.
Pete Alonso’s RBI single in the eighth tied it — Francisco Lindor was on second base as the runner to begin the frame per the extra-inning rule (doubleheaders are seven innings each game) — before Villar ended it with a shot to left field.
The Mets had just three hits entering the inning and had gone 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position before Alonso delivered.
Didi Gregorius’ infield RBI single against the shift in the eighth gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead on Trevor May. The run was unearned after catcher James McCann was charged with a passed ball, allowing Andrew McCutchen to reach third base.
The Mets had a chance to win the game in the seventh after Luis Guillorme walked and pinch-hitter Kevin Pillar was plunked, but Connor Brogdon retired Brandon Nimmo, Lindor and Dominic Smith in succession, sending the game to extra innings.
There were boos an inning earlier after lefty Jose Alvarado drilled Michael Conforto in the arm with a 100-mph fastball. It came after Alvarado threw high-and-tight on Conforto with a fastball of the same magnitude.
Jean Segura’s infield single with two outs in the sixth against Miguel Castro tied it 2-2. Rhys Hoskins walked leading off the inning and Bryce Harper singled, but Castro was on the cusp of escaping unscathed after striking out Alec Bohm and getting Gregorius to hit into a fielder’s choice. But Segura hit a dribbler to third base and beat Guillorme’s throw as Hoskins scored to tie the game.
After four strong innings, Taijuan Walker began to fade in the fifth and was removed with one out. Pinch-hitter Brad Miller drew the Phillies’ second straight walk in the inning, this one on four pitches, prompting manager Luis Rojas to summon Castro from the bullpen.
Castro struck out McCutchen on a changeup before the Phillies attempted a double steal and Roman Quinn was tagged out by Guillorme, who had jumped to catch McCann’s throw. Guillorme landed on Quinn and appeared to move him off the bag with the body blow, allowing for the tag.
Walker’s final line included eight strikeouts and three walks over 4 ¹/₃ innings with one earned run allowed on three hits. In his Mets debut Thursday, the right-hander allowed two earned runs over six innings in a no-decision against the Marlins.
Walker struck out the side in the third inning, getting Hoskins swinging on a 96-mph four-seamer to end the frame. Seven of Walker’s eight strikeouts came in the first three innings.
Bohm’s double leading off the second led to the Phillies pulling within 2-1. In the inning, Segura singled, putting Bohm in position to score on a sacrifice fly from Andrew Knapp.
In the fourth, Walker got Segura to hit a broken-bat grounder to second that started an inning-ending double play after Bohm had walked and Gregorius had singled.
Smith’s second homer in a week against Chase Anderson gave the Mets a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Nimmo continued his on-base surge with a walk leading off before Smith, with one out, cleared the right-field fence and became the first Mets player with more than one homer this season.
