NEW YORK — With Luis Severino on the mound on Thursday night for the Mets, it was Sean Manaea's turn to be the keeper of the "OMG" sign in the dugout.
On his off night, Manaea quickly became a very busy man celebrating with the orange and blue symbol that has become synonymous with celebrating the team's home runs.
The Mets gashed Taijuan Walker for four home runs in 3⅓ innings as they made a major opening statement with a 10-6 victory over the Phillies — the pacesetters of Major League Baseball — in front of 35,982 fans on Wednesday night at Citi Field.
"I would say controlled aggression today," Brandon Nimmo said. "We were able to hop on good pitches to hit but plenty of the guys took their walks and passed the baton the way they were supposed to. I think we controlled the zone well and we hit balls that were in the middle of the zone and a couple that were actually good pitcher pitches."
It was the first time in franchise history that the Mets have scored 10 runs or more in three straight games. The Mets have homered nine times in that stretch.
Over the last few days, the Mets players, including Nimmo, have implored the fans to help provide energy. In spite of missing star shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Mets have rode that positivity to score 10 runs or more in three straight games for the first time in franchise history.
In the process, they extended their winning streak to four games and remained two games up in the National League wild card race, with the Braves and Diamondbacks both winning.
"I think that we've done a great job responding to the challenge, especially late in the year," Pete Alonso said. "This is where we've put ourselves in position, but we just need to finish. We just need to finish off the regular season."
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The Mets got their home crowd into it early against Walker.
In the bottom of the first inning, Mark Vientos ripped a line-drive solo home run over the left-field fence and Pete Alonso followed it up with a home run to right-center field to put the Mets ahead 2-0. It was the sixth time this season that the Mets have hit back-to-back home runs.
"Anytime you take the lead early against a quality opponent, it's important," Alonso said. "Our pitchers did a great job keeping that lead and we did a great job adding on. It was a totally complete team win today."
After Trea Turner ripped a game-tying home run off Severino in the top of the third inning, the Mets mounted an immediate response as Nimmo blasted a two-run home run to center field in the next half inning.
The three members of the top of the Mets' lineup — Jose Iglesias, Nimmo and Vientos — each had two hits. It was Nimmo's second straight night with a home run. Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Vientos has broken out of a 3-for-38 slump with four hits in the last two games.
For a second straight night, the Mets broke away by batting around their lineup in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Francisco Alvarez tagged a three-run home run — his fourth home run in eight games — into the second deck in left field that helped usher Walker out of the game. Nimmo hit an RBI double into right field and Vientos drove an RBI single up the middle to help grow the Mets' advantage to 9-3. The Mets scored five runs in the frame on four hits, three walks and a hit by pitch.
"We know we're good, and we said it, guys are gonna go down and guys will continue to step up," Carlos Mendoza said. "That's what we're seeing the past few days and it feels like it's a different guy every night and today, a lot of guys."
After the Phillies got within 9-6 by jolting Danny Young for three runs, the Mets received their latest lift from Luisangel Acuna, who drove in a run for the third straight game on an RBI triple into the right-center field gap.
Luis Severino delivers
The "OMG" sign has also become a centerpiece in a new celebration for the Mets pitching staff.
As the Mets starting pitcher on that day waits for a handshake from the coaching staff, the rest of the rotation waits for his arrival to jump around and commemorate a job well done.
There has been plenty of that fanfare for the Mets starters over the last few weeks. Severino was the latest to earn his praise on Thursday night as he allowed three earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings.
"We celebrate the hitters a lot, so we started (to be) like, 'We need to celebrate the pitchers too when they do a good job,'" Severino said.
It was Severino's fourth straight quality start and atoned for a loss his last time out against the Phillies on Sept. 14.
The veteran right-hander gave up the home run to Turner and an RBI single to Brandon Marsh in the fourth but settled in and retired seven straight to end his outing as the Mets grew their lead.
"He had to battle. Stuff-wise he was good, but they made him work," Mendoza said. "Some long at-bats there. We didn't make a play on a foul ball that dropped. I felt like he got tired, but he found a way to give us six innings."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: With four big home runs, NY Mets show Phillies they can be a power player in NL playoffs
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