Beat The Mets

A win for the Phillies is sweet. A win over the hated New York Mets is better. And a win where the Phils come from behind, after seemingly being dead in the water for seven innings, against the Mets, is just about the best thing there is. 

Last night had all the makings of our worst fears for the season. Cold bats and awful defense. Alec Bohm made THREE errors in three innings. And before the eighth inning last night, the top four guys in the lineup–Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto, Bryce Harper, and Nick Castellanos–were a combined 7 for 53 to start the season. 

The eighth inning started quietly enough, with the Phils down 4-0. Bohm walked, and Johan Camargo hit a pinch-hit single, sending Bohm to third. Camargo was hitting for Matt Vierling, who was 0 for 10 to start the season. Schwarber was next, and hit a grounder that looked like a double-play ball. But Schwarber busted down the line to beat the throw. 

Realmuto was next, and crushed a 3-2 changeup 410 feet into the left-field seats to make it 4-3. Harper struck out on three pitches, and Castellanos worked a seven-pitch walk off Seth Lugo. Rhys Hoskins, the Phillies best hitter so far this season (.385/.500/1.269) doubled to left, and a rampaging Castellanos beat the throw to tie the game. The much-maligned Didi Gregorius, with the fans chanting his name, ripped a double to right center for the go-ahead run.

Lefty Brad Hand came in for the 1-2-3 save in the ninth, striking out two. Ballgame. And watching the Mets blow a big lead, especially against the Phillies, never gets old. 

So now the Phils are 3-1 and lead the NL East with two more games against the Mets, tonight and tomorrow afternoon. The Phils have Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola pitching, while the Mets will counter with Tylor Megill and some dude named Scherzer.