Pete Alonso homered, J.D. Martinez hit a go-ahead single in the 11th inning and the New York Mets overcame another big save from Edwin Díaz, avoiding a four-game home-and-home sweep with a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. on Thursday evening.
Starling Marte scored two goals for the Mets, who won their second game in the last seven on Wednesday evening after a closed-door meeting with rookie manager Carlos Mendoza.
Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm hit RBI doubles for the Phillies, who lost for only the fourth time in 20 games. NL East-leading Philadelphia is ten games ahead of the Mets.
The Phillies won a pair of games in New York on Monday and Tuesday and took the opener of the two-game series in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The rare home-and-home set would host a two-match series between the teams in London from June 8 to 9.
Díaz gave up a run in the ninth, his second straight save and third in four chances since May 5. Neither team scored in the 10th, but they led the way with two runs in the 11th off José Alvarado (1-2).
Martinez hit the first pitch to right field, scoring auto runner Francisco Lindor from second base. Harrison Bader doubled to put runners on second and third base with no outs. Alvarado struckout the next two batters before Martinez scored on a wild pitch.
Jorge López (1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th, and Jake Diekman earned his first save coming out of a jam in the 11th.
Philadelphia loaded the bases with one out in the 11th and came within a run on a grounder by Bryson Stott. Diekman eliminated Schwarber with runners on second and third base and ended it after 3 hours and 29 minutes.
The teams traded leads in the late innings.
After the Phillies took the lead with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, the Mets regained the lead with a pair of runs in the eighth. Stott tied the score in the ninth with a one-out RBI single off Díaz.
Alonso drove his 10th home run of the season 450 feet to deep left field in the first.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Philadelphia starter Taijuan Walker left the fourth inning with a bruised left foot after being hit by a liner from Marte. Walker allowed two runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings. … SS Trea Turner (strained left hamstring) took grounders for the game. Turner was injured on May 3 and is expected to miss at least four more weeks.
Mets: OF Brandon Nimmo left the lineup late due to illness.
NEXT ONE
Mets: Rookie RHP Christian Scott (0-1, 2.84 ERA) faces Marlins LHP Jesús Luzardo (0-3, 5.97) on Friday night in the first of three games in Miami.
Phillies: RHP Zack Wheeler (4-3, 2.53 ERA) faces Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (2-3, 3.55) on Friday night in the opener of a three-game set.
