October 5, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) during the 2024 ALCS at Citizens Bank Park With Bryce Harper (3 years old) after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the New York Mets in the first game of the major league playoffs. Celebrate together. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — In Game 1 of the National League Division Series, the New York Mets held Philadelphia starting pitcher Zack Wheeler for seven innings and held off the Phillies bullpen for the final two innings. The game erupted with six points and won 6-2.
In the eighth inning, Brandon Nimmo hit an RBI single off Matt Strahm to tie the game at 1-1, and Mark Vientos ) also tied the game with a run-scoring single of his own. Pete Alonso, J.D. Martinez and Starlin Marte also scored in the first inning for the Mets, who trailed in the bottom of the inning for the third time in six days.
Nimmo went 2-for-4 in the game, hitting another single in the ninth inning off Tanner Banks.
Kyle Schwarber homered in the bottom of the first inning for the Phillies. Schwarber went 2 for 4, but the Phillies managed just three more hits against five Mets pitchers. The last one was an RBI double by Cody Clemens in the ninth inning.
Wheeler allowed just one hit in seven innings before giving way to Jeff Hoffman to start the eighth. Francisco Alvarez opened the inning with a single and Francisco Lindor walked after falling behind 0-2 in the count.
Vientos then drove a 1-2 slider from Hoffman into left field, scoring pinch-runner Harrison Bader. Strahm replaced Hoffman, but Nimmo singled home Lindor on an 0-2 count. Also down 0-2, Alonso's sacrifice fly made it 3-1.
Jose Iglesias followed with a single, again making it 0-2, and Martinez, who was batting in relief of Jesse Winker, singled. Nimmo. Marte's sacrifice fly extended the Mets' lead to 5-1.
New York beat Atlanta in the first game of a doubleheader on Monday on Lindor's two-run home run in the ninth to clinch a playoff berth. The Mets scored four times in the ninth inning of Game 3 on Thursday to win their wild-card series against Milwaukee, the first three of which came on Alonso's hit off Brewers closer Devin Williams of home runs.
In seven innings on the mound on Saturday, Wheeler allowed only Vientos' first single in the fourth inning. He struck out nine, walked four and hit a batter.
The Mets had only one runner in scoring position against him when Nimmo loaded the bases on Vientos's bat. Wheeler got out of the jam by striking out Alonso and tempting Iglesias into a double.
Schwarber took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Mets starter Kodai Senga hit a fastball into the right field bleachers to make the score 1-1. It was Schwarber's 12th postseason home run in three years in Philadelphia, four of which came in the first inning. It was also his fifth career home run.
It was Senga's second appearance in a season interrupted by shoulder and calf injuries. A 2023 All-Star, his only previous appearance came on July 26 against Atlanta.
He left after two innings on Saturday, his only hit allowed being a home run by Schwarber. He struck out three and walked one.
Reid Garrett pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win for New York. Hoffman took the loss.
—Gordie Jones, Field Level Media