Mets 11 Phillies 4 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 74-86
Mets streak: Won 2
WP - Reid Garrett (1-0)
LP - Michael Plassmeyer (0-1)
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.
Francisco Alvarez hadn't hit a home run in over two weeks. Tonight, he blasted not one, but two dingers over 400 feet and drove in six runs to lead the Mets to a victory and a doubleheader sweep on the last weekend of the season.
Need to Know
Michael Plassmeyer made his first career start and first major league appearance for Philadelphia, and it did not go well as he gave up 10 runs in 3 and 2/3's innings on eight hits and nine walks.
Francisco Alvarez's second inning home run was his 24th of the season. It's his first home run since September 12th against Arizona.
Francisco Alvarez's third inning home run gave the Mets an 8-0 lead and was his first career grand slam.
Alvarez is now one home run behind Johnny Bench for most home runs by a catcher age 21 or under.
Plassmeyer hit three Mets in the third inning, the first time the Mets have had three batters hit since 1974 (which is amazing when you think about how many times the Mets have been hit with pitches in the last two seasons.)
Kyle Schwarber's fourth inning home run which cut the lead to 8-4 was his first home run against the Mets this season, and the third home run the Philies hit against Jose Quintana in his last two starts.
Quintana was pulled after 96 pitches in four innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out five with no walks.
Francisco Lindor's 4th inning home run was his 31st dinger of the season. It gave him 98 RBI on the year.
The Mets bullpen gave up one hit in their five innings of work, with Reid Garrett accounting for three of those wins.
Turning Point
After Schwarber's home run made it 8-4 with Quintana being on fumes, it could have been a comeback for the ages. Then this happened:
The Phillies and the Mets treated the rest of the game like it was in Port St. Lucie.
Three Keys
The three keys tonight are dedicated to Francisco Alvarez.
One ...
Two ...
And in the absence of a third home run, three.
It was a complete night for Alvarez.