Phillies 7-6 Mets (Oct. 6, 2024) Game Recap

PHILADELPHIA – Nick Castellanos snagged a game-winning two-out single off Tylor Megill, who scored Bryce Harper and gave the Philadelphia Phillies a dizzying 7-6 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday and tied the NL Division Series at one game apiece .

Castellanos threw away his helmet and was mobbed by teammates in the infield as a game that seemed to be getting out of hand an inning earlier turned into another comeback for the NL East champions.

Megill retired the first two batters of the ninth and walked Harper, who also hit a home run and scored twice. Castellanos, who also hit a home run, followed with perhaps the biggest hit of his Phillies career.

“Unbelievable. Unbelievable,” Castellanos said. “If he blows a fastball past me, then so be it. I’d rather do that than swing at something in the dirt. It was unbelievable, but the series is even. Now go we go to New York and there’s still a lot of baseball.”

Down 2-0, he took a ball in the dirt, then pulled a hanging slider to left, sending the towel-waving crowd at Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy.

“I just made a bad pitch and backed myself up,” Megill said.

Game 3 is Tuesday in New York, the Mets’ first home game since September 22nd.

“Blow for blow the whole game,” Harper said. “It’s a big win with a 1-1 draw in New York. I expect it will be a pretty hostile environment and we’re looking forward to it.”

In just the second postseason game between the NL East rivals, the Mets and Phillies were pushed from pillar to post over the final four innings, with each game-winning hit capped by an even more emotional one.

Mark Vientos hit two two-run home runs for the Mets, who got solo throws from Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo.

Harper’s two-run home run and Castellanos’ solo drive on a three-pitch span from Luis Severino sparked the Phillies’ comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the sixth inning.

“I missed my location and I paid for it,” Severino said.

After Nimmo’s seventh-inning home run off Orion Kerkering gave New York a 4-3 lead, Bryson Stott scored on his 27th birthday with a two-run triple down the right field line after Harper walked and Castellanos walked Edwin Díaz batted off a single and had a three-run eighth.

Díaz, who has a 9.37 ERA at Citizens Bank Park, threw 104 pitches in three appearances over a seven-day span.

“Harper’s walk — I think I was a little lazy with him instead of attacking him,” Díaz said.

Stott hit a grounder for a 6-4 lead, but Vientos hit a two-run home run off Matt Strahm, an All-Star left-hander, who left the Phillies in a loss for the second straight game.

Harper snapped the Phillies out of their offensive malaise when he fired 431 feet into the bushes to a thunderous roar from the fans.

NEXT

After an off day on Monday, the Phillies send RHP Aaron Nola to the mound in Game 3 in New York on Tuesday. The Mets will start LHP Sean Manaea.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB