PHILADELPHIA — After barely surviving in their usual house of horrors in Atlanta , then winning again late and spectacularly in Milwaukee, the competition got tougher, the locale more intimidating and the stakes more serious for these magical Mets.
Yet, none of that matters to the team from Queens these days.
They have equal parts magic, momentum and mojo on their side. No reason to worry, that may be all they need.
Harrison Bader, Brandon Nimmo and Tyrone Taylor celebrate after the Mets’ 6-2 Game 1 NLDS win over the Phillies on Oct. 5, 2024. Corey Sipkin for the New York Post
The Mets continue to be baseball’s best October story, coming from behind late once again in a 6-2 over the Phillies that put them up 1-0 in their NL Division Series.
The opposition’s getting tougher, but things are looking easier . This was supposed to be a transition year. But anyone who bets against these Mets now plays the fool. Their roll is amazing, more so by the day.
“The gods of baseball will help you out when you play the game the right way,” Jose Iglesias said.
The five-run eighth inning won the Mets yet another big postseason game and cast a pall over Citizens Bank Park, where it’s perpetually deafening. Fans were loud early, and louder late — although it was mostly boos after the Mets’ latest, greatest late rally.
On paper, this could not be a much tougher assignment with ex-Met Zack Wheeler (the second-best pitcher the Mets ever let go, after Tom Seaver), Philly’s star-studded lineup ready, the Phillies being well-rested (though that may actually be a detriment) and all those wild and kooky fans here.
Yet, it seems nothing can stop these Mets now — rallying late in games and the season. As long as they have an at-bat or two left, they are very much alive.
Pete Alonso accepts congratulations from teammates after hitting a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of the Mets’ win. Corey Sipkin for the New York Post
On paper, they may not be the best team still going. But they may be the most dangerous in the derby now.
Perhaps this victory wasn’t quite as dramatic as the double comeback in the doubleheader in Atlanta or certainly Pete Alonso’s 11th-hour homer that rescued them in Milwaukee, when Alonso said hold my beer. But this may be more impressive.
The Mets didn’t quite take it all the way to the ninth inning (their personal favorite frame) this time. They simply waited until Wheeler was out of the game and capitalized the moment the Phillies inserted merely mortal All-Star pitchers (the first two middle relievers manager Rob Thomson inserted were All-Stars!). The Mets had one hit in seven innings against Wheeler and five hits in the winning rally. Wheeler was nearly unhittable, especially with the shadows present early.
J.D. Martinez said the message was clear on the bench: “We just got to get him outta the game.”
Brandon Nimmo rips an RBI single in the eighth inning of the Mets’ comeback win. Getty Images
Once they did, Mets magic entered. Five hits, a walk and two sacrifice flies later they stole this one. Especially impressive was Iglesias’ 10-pitch at-bat, with a single following an 0-and-2 count and seven straight foul balls. Imagine that: 10 strikes and no balls, which really doesn’t characterize this courageous kid.
The Mets, in many ways, had the toughest draw in this derby. Wheeler is not only great, he presumably doesn’t love the Mets after the way they handled his free agency. They blew it by ignoring him. Now they have to deal with him.
The Phillies feature a win-now lineup that got to the World Series two years ago, and should have gotten there last year, too. This time, unlike the last two times, they were favored by many to go to the World Series.
Ryne Stanek (left) hugs Luis Torrens after closing out the Mets’ Game 1 win over the Phillies. Corey Sipkin for the New York Post
Even the fans are tough here. They are legendarily loud, and some say rough or even rude (Santa Claus might concur). They deserve credit, but my guess is they may be hyped up on cheesesteaks or something harder. I’m pretty convinced, too, it’s not their players who do steroids but their fans (some of them look awfully buff). Anyway, the game started loud, and got louder.
“This is a crazy environment,” Martinez said. “We have to stay focused and come back [Sunday].”
Despite their advantages, the Phillies fell to 28-14 in postseason games at Citizens Bank Park, which is the best home mark in MLB. The park is cozy, the fans crazy. But it’s mostly about the team, of course. This is a pretty special Phillies team that ran away in the National League East.
Mets owner Steve Cohen (left) celebrates after the Mets’ Game 1 comeback win. Corey Sipkin for the New York Post
Yet, what matters more is the Mets’ October roll.
Things didn’t start great, as is their style. Three pitches into the Phillies first, surprise starter Kodai Senga, who apparently looked fantastic on the backfields of Port St. Lucie, served up an early meatball to frequent October star Kyle Schwarber, who hit a ball deep into the second deck in right field. They said it was 425 feet, but I think they must have gotten the digits mixed up. I’m saying 524.
Senga managed to last two innings after two-plus months off, then David Peterson, a late-season star, threw four scoreless, and manager Carlos Mendoza pieced it all together perfectly.
If the idea to start Senga was to surprise the Phillies, it didn’t really work. That’s about the only thing that isn’t working for these mysteriously excellent Mets now.
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