Canning starts and Torrens finishes Mets' sixth straight victory

Mets 5 Phillies 1 (Citi Field, New York, NY)

Mets Record: 17-7

Mets Streak: W6

Mets Last 10: 8-2

WP: Griffin Canning (3-1)

LP: Christopher Sanchez (2-1)

Seat On The Korner:

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

The Mets were up two and had the bases loaded when Luis Torrens' turn in the batting order came up. Torrens, a righty, would be facing Orion Kerkering, a righty. Torrens was also just 1-for-his-last-18, and Brandon Nimmo, a lefty, was available to pinch hit. But Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stuck with Torrens. He had his reasons. Despite his recent struggles at the plate, Torrens had been clutch several times this season and, after falling behind 0-2 in this at-bat, Kerkering threw a slider that Torrens lined to left for two runs that put the game away and earn him an invitation to chat with Ralph. "The moment was just put the ball in play and thank God everything happened our way and I could help the team," Torrens, how hitting .385 this season with runners in scoring position, said during the on-field interview after the game, noting he was glad Mendoza showed "a lot of confidence in me. I also feel proud when I swing and get those RBI."

Need To Know:

• The Mets will wrap up their home stand Wednesday with a 1:10 p.m. finale against the Phillies, the final game in a stretch of 13 games in 13 days before the team gets a day off on Thursday. David Peterson (1-1, 3.27 ERA) goes for the Mets against the Phillies' Zach Wheeler (2-1, 3.73 ERA).

• The Mets are tied with the San Diego Padres for the best record in baseball. at 17-7. The Amazin's own an 11-1 record at Citi Field.

• After the Phillies tied the game in the top of the second inning by stringing three straight hits against Mets starter Griffin Canning, Francisco Lindor put the Mets back on top to stay when he singled in Jose Azocar with two out in the bottom half.

• Before Lindor's RBI hit in the second, the Mets had first and third with one out but Jose Azocar was caught leaning off first and got caught in a rundown, and Luisangel Acuna was cut down trying to score.

• The Phillies starter, southpaw Christopher Sanchez, left after two innings with left forearm tightness.

• With Kyle Schwarber on first after drawing a leadoff walk in the Phillies' eighth, Nick Castellanos lofted a fly to Mets centerfielder Tyronne Taylor, who seemed to relax during the catch but then gunned a strike to Pete Alonso at first to double up an apparently fooled Schwarber.

  
  

Turning Point

Griffin Canning bent but didn't break. The first five Phillies hit the ball solidly off him and ripped two hits, but Canning escaped the first inning without allowing a run. In the second, he gave up three straight hits after one was out as Philadelphia tied the score at 1-1. Then Canning found himself. He retired the next five straight to get through three and fanned two in putting up another goose egg in the fourth. He faced a second-and-third-with-two-out jam in the fifth, but got the Phillies' Nick Castellanos flailing at strike three to preserve the one-run lead. Carlos Mendoza pulled Canning at that point after 84 pitches, having given up just the one run on seven hits and striking out five. He kept up the success of Mets starting pitchers, who lead the league in wins (12), fewest home runs allowed (five) and a 2.29 ERA. Mets starters haven't given up a home run in their last 11 games. Their .623 opponent OPS and 137 strikeouts are both second-best league-wide. Catcher Luis Torrens, who has guided the pitchers through their success, credited "the job we do before the game, how we prepare. They all have great arms and we attack the zone. I think that's the key."

Three Keys:

The pen is mightier

The Mets' bullpen just keeps rolling along. Four more shutout innings on Tuesday night against the Phillies lowered the pen's overall ERA to 2.47. Huascar Brazobán (sixth), A.J. Minter (seventh), Ryan Stanek (eighth) and Jose Butto (ninth) combined to yield just one hit while walking three and striking out three in relief of Griffin Canning. Minter looked especially nasty in striking out Bryce Harper to close out the seventh.

On your Mark ...

Mark Vientos returned to the Mets lineup for the first time since Saturday after straining his groin that afternoon. Vientos was forced to the bench just as he seemed to be heating up. But with Juan Soto on second and two out in his first at-bat since the injury, Vientos slashed a line drive down the left-field line for a double to score Soto and put the Mets on the board first.

He keeps re-Peting himself

Pete Alonso just continues to rake. He singled in the third and then, after being hit by a pitch in the fifth, Alonso slammed an RBI double to left field with two out in the seventh to bring home Francisco Lindor (two more hits) and add some breathing room, setting the stage for Luis Torrens' heroics. Alonso is now hitting .349 this season with an OPS of 1.150 (first in the National League) and 25 RBI (tied for first in the NL).