The Mets were facing the Phillies for the first time since the Mets sent them home in the NLDS. Tylor Megill, riding high off a good start to the season so far, was facing off against Aaron Nola, who, while historically good against the Mets, had been struggling so far in 2025, to the tune of a 6.65 ERA entering the game.
Megill started the game with a solid first inning, other than a one-out walk of Trea Turner he got through the top of the Phillies lineup without difficulty. For the second game in a row, Francisco Lindor led off in the bottom of the first with a home run to put the Mets ahead as soon as possible. Nola set down the next three batters to end the scoring there but the Phillies were already in an early deficit.
In the second Megill had a perfect inning with three strikeouts, two of them looking. In the bottom of the second JesseWinker did his best Lindor impression and led off the inning with another home run to double the Mets lead. The next three Mets went down in order but the Mets now had a two run lead over their division rivals.
The third inning was a struggle for Megill. After getting the first two outs, Megill ran into some trouble, loading the bases with a single and two walks. But he pulled it together and struck out Kyle Schwarber with the bases loaded to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the third, Tyrone Taylor singled and Lindor walked to put two on with no outs. Juan Soto hit a ball originally ruled a home run but overturned as a foul ball after a review. Nola then put Soto, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo down in order to strand the two runners.
The next two innings Megill and Nola exchanged scoreless innings, and with the exception of a Winker single (erased by a double play) and Alec Bohm being hit by a pitch, both pitchers were able to keep runners off the base paths. In the top of the sixth, Megill gave up a walk to Bryce Harper and got Schwarber to fly out to Nimmo before he was pulled in favor of Reed Garrett. A two-out Max Kepler single that moved Harper to third was the makings of a scoring threat, but Garrett struck out J.T. Realmuto to end the inning and keep the Phillies scoreless. In the bottom of the sixth, after Soto led off with a ground out, Alonso and Nimmo each singled to put runners on the corners with only one out. But Winker hit a bullet right back to Harper who was able to tag Nimmo for the double play to end the inning.
Max Kranick came in to pitch in the seventh, and he was able to set down the Phillies in order. In the bottom of the inning, after a first out by Luis Torrens, Luisangel Acuña singled and Brett Baty walked to put two on. The Phillies then brought in José Ruiz to face Taylor. Taylor grounded into a force out, Baty being thrown out at second but Taylor just beating the throw at first. That hustle by Taylor allowed Lindor the opportunity to do what Soto missed by inches and hit a three-run home run to put the Mets up by five runs. Soto grounded out to end the inning but the damage was done.
Kranick stayed in for the eighth, and other than a Schwarber two-out single, he got through the inning unscathed. The Mets went down in order against Tanner Banks in the bottom of the inning, but they only needed to get three more outs to win, with Kranick staying in for the top of the ninth. He immediately ran into trouble, giving up a double to Kepler and a single to Realmuto that scored Kepler as the Phillies’ first run. Alec Bohm singled, moving Realmuto to second and driving Kranick from the game. Edwin Díaz came in to pitch with two runners on and no outs. He got the first batter, Cal Stevenson (who came in to play center after Johan Rojas was pulled for a pinch hitter) flew out for the first out, but Bryson Stott hit a three run home run to put the Phillies within one with still only one out. Díaz pulled it together and got two strikeouts of Turner and Harper to end the game and get the Mets the win.
The Mets are riding high on a five game win streak. Megill continues to cruise, and Lindor is red hot earlier than usual. Winker also had a great game, and Kranick continues to prove himself as an integral part of the bullpen (ninth inning notwithstanding). While there are definitely still parts of the team that could improve, whether internally or externally, there’s nothing much to complain about with the Mets nine games above .500.
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Win Probability Added
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Big Mets winner: Tylor Megill, +25.2% WPA
Big Mets loser: Luis Torrens, -7.0% WPA
Mets pitchers: +40.0% WPA
Mets hitters: +10.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco Lindor’s leadoff home run, +10.5% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jesse Winker lining into a double play in the sixth inning, -6.4% WPA
