Mets 4 Phillies 2 (Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA)
Mets record: 35-41
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - Max Scherzer (7-2)
LP - Christopher Sanchez (0-1)
SV - David Robertson (11)
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.
This could have been split three ways. Max Scherzer pitched six very good innings and bent without breaking. Starling Marte delivered the keynote with a solo HR in the first, and started the 6th inning rally which gave the Mets the lead for good. But in a game that the Mets absolutely had to have, there was a lot of pressure on David Robertson, as he was asked to get a five out save. He got double plays to end both the 8th and 9th innings to deliver a much needed win in Philadelphia to stop their three game losing streak.
Need to Know
Max Scherzer pitched six good innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight. He threw a season high 107 pitches.
The top of the order deilvered for the Mets, as Brandon Nimmo, Marte, and Francsico Lindor each had two hits in the top three spots in the order.
Lost in the shuffle: Luis Guillorme, who also had two hits and scored the second run on a single by Nimmo after Guillorme hit a triple in the third.
The Mets' sixth inning rally featured an RBI by Pete Alonso on a ground out for the go ahead run, and Tommy Pham driving in an insurance run with an RBI single to make it 4-2.
The bullpen brought it home as Buck Showalter was able to go to the meat of the bullpen with a late lead. Brooks Raley and Adam Ottavino got two outs each, but Robertson was the star with a five out save which featured two double plays.
Turning Point
Max Scherzer had a 2-0 lead going into the 4th. But Nick Castellanos hit a home run off him to make it a 2-1 game. Then in the 5th, Scherzer gave up a leadoff double to Brandon Marsh, then with two outs, Trea Turner tagged him with an RBI single to tie the game. Then Castellanos got him again with a single to send Trea Turner to third, then Castellanos stole second as he was trying to draw the throw to get Turner home.
With Bryce Harper up with runners on second and third with two outs, and Harper having historical success against Scherzer, this had the makings of another blown lead for Scherzer as he had already blown multiple run leads to the Braves and Yankees. He absolutely needed an out here to shift the momentum back to the Mets, and he got it.
The Mets would take the lead in the next half inning to take the lead for good.
Three Keys
A Marte Party: You know about the struggles that the Mets have had in the first inning. It made Starling Marte's home run extra important for this team going through a 4-14 stretch and a three game losing streak.
The Competitive Max: The important thing for Max Scherzer is to string together a number of good starts in a row. His record is 7-2, but it sure as heck doesn't seem like it with some of the stinkers he has put up. So to see two good starts in a row gives the team hope that there are more to come. And if there are more to come, that'll be a great sign for the Mets' playoff hopes.
But the thing about today's outing was that you saw the ultra competitive Max Scherzer out there. Right before he struck out Harper in the fifth, he was barking at someone during Jeremy Hefner's mound visit. Then he went to the dugout and lobbied to stay in the game one more inning. He got the sixth, then gave out some very intense high fives in the dugout. Scherzer was hyped.
Robertson: When any closer is asked to get a multi inning save, things could get dicey. When that closer is asked to get five outs in Citizens Bank Park with the team desperately needing a win to stop the bleeding, things could get brutal.
But David Robertson has the right demeanor for these types of situations. He came in to face Bryson Stott as the winning run with a two run lead.
Robertson then came back for the 9th and got Josh Harrison to ground into a double play to end it and get the Mets back on the winning track. There are no words to describe how much the Mets needed this from Robertson. So the words I'll give you belong to Robertson, who said that he hadn't gotten two double plays in a game since high school.