Railing, Raley, Ruin Rally, Really ! Mets beat Phils 4-1

Mets 4 Phillies 1, (Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA)

Mets record: 41-57

Mets streak: Won 1

WP -Christian Scott (3-1)

LP - Aaron Nola (3-7)

SV - Devin Williams (14)

Seat on the Korner: Christian Scott

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

Christian Scott continues to look every bit like the pitcher the Mets envisioned when he arrived in the major leagues. Tonight, the 26-year-old right-hander turned in another masterful performance, shutting down the Phillies for 5.2 scoreless innings while allowing just three hits, walking none, and striking out seven. Efficient and in complete command from the outset, Scott consistently worked ahead in the count, kept Philadelphia off balance, and handed the game over to the bullpen with the Mets in excellent position. As a result, his ERA dropped to an impressive 2.87.

The outing was more than just another quality start—it was another milestone in what has become one of the most remarkably consistent beginnings to a pitching career in franchise history. Scott has now allowed four runs or fewer in each of his first 22 Major League starts extending a Mets franchise record and placing himself among a select group of pitchers in baseball history to open their careers with that level of consistency. It also marked his second career start against the Phillies, and once again he handled one of the National League's deepest lineups with ease. In two starts against Philadelphia, Scott has now allowed just two earned runs over 11 innings while striking out 13 batters.

Just a few weeks ago, Scott endured a rare stretch in which the long ball became an issue after allowing six home runs over three starts. Rather than letting it snowball, he made the necessary adjustments and has responded exactly as frontline starters do. He followed five scoreless innings against Kansas City with another scoreless effort tonight, giving the Mets back-to-back dominant outings .

Perhaps most impressive is the way Scott has matured. The young pitcher who once relied primarily on his electric fastball now attacks hitters with confidence, trusts his full arsenal, and rarely beats himself. Christian Scott continues to provide something invaluable every fifth day: stability, confidence, and the feeling that his team has an excellent chance to walk off the field victorious. That's why he gets the sit next to Ralph.

Need to Know

• First Pitch Moved Up: tonight's game between the Mets and Phillies was moved up one hour, from 7:10 p.m. to 6:10 p.m. ET, in an effort to get the game underway before deteriorating weather and air quality conditions.

• Canadian Wildfire Smoke: Pennsylvania was under a Code Red Air Quality Action Day as smoke from the Canadian wildfires created unhealthy conditions across the region.

• Heat Also a Factor: In addition to the poor air quality, Philadelphia remained under a Heat Advisory, with feels-like temperatures approaching 100 degrees.

• A Week of Schedule Changes:For the second straight week, a nationally televised Mets game saw its schedule altered. Last Friday's Apple TV+ broadcast against the Red Sox was delayed 35 minutes after Boston's team charter was stranded for nearly 24 hours because of two separate mechanical issues before finally arriving at Citi Field just over two hours before first pitch.

• Another Unusual Night: While the causes were very different—travel issues for the Red Sox last week and wildfire smoke and extreme heat this week—the Mets have now experienced two consecutive nationally televised games impacted by unusual pregame circumstances.

• Prior to tonight's game, the Mets announced the

  following roster moves - INF Marcus Semien was returned from rehab

  assignment and reinstated from the 10-Day Injured List.Semien had

  been on the IL since June 25 with a Left hip flexor strain.INF Zack

  Short was been designated for assignment.

• The Mets kick off the second-half with a three-game set against the

  Phillies.Following this series, the Mets head to Milwaukee for a

  three-game set.The Mets finished the first-half of the season going

  40-57.

• The Mets are now 7-10 since Andy Green took the helm.

• After hosting the 96th All-Star game on Tuesday night, the Phillies returned to Citizens Bank Park for the first time since July 2 ,The Phillies haven’t played a game at CBP in 14 days (last: 7/2 vs PIT) In order to get CBP ready for the All Star Game, the Phillies have only played 5 games at home over the last 25 days (since 6/22).

•  The Phillies are 998-783 all time at Citizens Bank Park and remain two wins shy of reaching 1,000 Tonight was the 1,782nd regular season game played at CBP since it opened in 2004 .The Phillies have reached 1,000 wins at

  three different venues in their franchise history and the fastest they did so at any of the three was Baker Bowl when they reached No. 1,000 on July 23, 1919 in their 1,793rd game … They also reached 1,000 wins at Veterans Stadium on July 4, 1993 in their 1,800th game and at Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium on Sept. 14, 1965 in game No. 2,147.

•  Aaron Nola made his 32rd career start against the Mets, In his 32 starts, he is 11-11 with a 3.46 ERA (72 ER, 187.1 IP) … He is now tied for the 25th most starts against the Mets alongside Fernando Valenzuela and Doug Drabek. He tied Cole Hamels for the 2nd most starts made by a Phillie against NYM and trails only Steve Carlton (72), who has made more starts against NYM than any other pitcher … Nola’s 11 wins against NYM are the 2nd most among active pitchers, behind only Max Scherzer (14).

  
  

Turning Point

The bottom of the sixth proved to be the game's defining moment, with the Mets clinging to a 1-0 lead and momentum hanging in the balance. Christian Scott retired Justin Crawford on a grounder to short and Trea Turner on a line drive to second, putting the Mets just one out away from escaping another scoreless inning. Then came the play everyone at Citizens Bank Park will be talking about.

Kyle Schwarber launched a towering drive to right field that appeared destined for the seats. A Phillies fan wearing a baseball glove had a chance to make the catch but instead instinctively covered his head with the glove as the ball struck the railing and ricocheted back onto the field. After a crew review confirmed the ball had not cleared the fence, Schwarber was awarded a double rather than a game-tying home run.

The drama was only beginning. Following a mound visit, Andy Green turned to Brooks Raley, who replaced Scott. Schwarber was then picked off second base and appeared to be dead in a rundown, but Francisco Lindor's throwing error allowed him to advance all the way to third, suddenly putting the tying run just 90 feet from home. When Raley walked Bryce Harper, the Phillies had runners at the corners with two outs.

Brooks Raley then delivered the biggest pitch of the night. He got Brandon Marsh to swing through strike three, stranding both runners and preserving the Mets' 1-0 lead. What could have been a crushing inning for New York instead became the turning point of the game, thanks to a fortunate bounce off the railing, a clutch strikeout by Raley, and an escape that kept the Phillies from capitalizing on their best scoring opportunity of the night. Had the Mets still had any chance at a playoff spot if might have taken it's place next to the Ball on the Wall Game against the Pirates.

Three Keys

On Fire

Francisco Alvarez continues to swing one of the hottest bats in the Mets lineup, and Thursday night he reminded the Phillies why he has enjoyed so much success against them. Alvarez launched two home runs, giving him eight career homers against Philadelphia, the second-most he has hit against any opponent. The performance also marked the seventh multi-home run game of his career before turning 25, moving him into sole possession of third place in franchise history, trailing only Darryl Strawberry (11) and David Wright (9). His big night was simply the latest chapter in an impressive run at the plate. Alvarez has now hit safely in 28 of his last 37 games, batting .284 (37-for-130) with seven doubles, nine home runs, 17 RBIs, and 13 runs scored during that stretch. As the Mets continue their push through the second half, Alvarez is looking more and more like the middle-of-the-order force they envisioned when he arrived in the big leagues.

Up in Smoke

Luke Weaver's Historic Run Comes to an End, Every remarkable streak eventually reaches its finish line, and for Luke Weaver it came in the eighth inning when Trea Turner connected for a solo home run. The blast ended Weaver's franchise-record chase after 25 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run, a streak that dated back to May 1 and was tied with teammate A.J. Minter for the second-longest in Mets history, trailing only Mark Guthrie's 33-game stretch in 2002. Weaver had been nearly untouchable during the run, throwing 25 consecutive scoreless innings over 23 appearances, the third-longest scoreless streak by a Mets reliever, while becoming the only reliever in the majors since May 1 to log at least 20 innings without surrendering an earned run. Although the streak ended on Turner's solo shot, it does little to diminish what has been one of the most dominant and consistent stretches by a Mets reliever in franchise history.

Fire Sale

The Mets opened the second half with an impressive victory, but the conversation surrounding the club may quickly shift from the field to the front office. According to MLB Insider reports, the Mets have moved into fire sale mode ahead of the trade deadline and are willing to discuss virtually anyone on the major league roster. The reported untouchable group consists of Juan Soto, Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and AJ Ewing, while Francisco Lindor is still viewed as a long shot to be moved despite reportedly drawing interest. If those reports prove accurate, Thursday's win could serve as a reminder of the talent already in the clubhouse while simultaneously raising questions about what this roster will look like when the trade deadline passes.