The Mets’ latest home stand was starting with a three-game series against the Phillies, and the team had Kodai Senga starting on regular rest, an unusual situation for him. The Phillies had Cy Young candidate Cristopher Sánchez taking the mound. But the Mets wound up winning by a 13-3 score.

It was an inauspicious start for Senga, who gave up a lead-off triple to Trea Turner (in an at-bat with a controversial ball call). Kyle Schwarber drove Turner in with a ground out to first. Senga got two more outs to get out of the inning, but the Mets were already in a deficit after the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Francisco Lindor led off by reaching base on a throwing error by Trea Turner. But the Mets then got three consecutive outs to waste the baserunner.

Senga struggled again in the second, giving up a one-out walk and a single right after. But he was able to work out of it without either baserunner scoring. The Mets went down in order in the bottom of the inning. The third was even more hectic for Senga. After giving up another one-out walk and single, Alec Bohm hit a single with two outs that drove in both baserunners to give the Phillies a three run lead. Brandon Marsh then doubled to put two runners in scoring position but Senga was able to get out of it after that. The Mets once again went down quietly in the bottom of the third, with no baserunners reaching in any way.

Harrison Bader led off the fourth with a single, and a Bryson Stott walk put two runners on. But Senga was able to wiggle out of the jam once again, stranding the runners without any additional runs for the Phillies. The Mets finally got their first hit in the bottom of the inning, courtesy of a Juan Soto single. Despite Starling Marte following that with a double play, the dam had been broken. Pete Alonso singled, reached second on a balk, then reached third on a wild pitch. A Mark Vientos double drove him in for the Mets first run. Brandon Nimmo then singled and drove in Vientos for the Mets second run. Then, after a Tyrone Taylor walk, Jeff McNeil singled and drove in Nimmo to tie the game. The inning ended after that, but the Mets had made a thrilling comeback with five more innings to pull ahead.

J.T. Realmuto led off the fifth by getting hit by a pitch, which was all she wrote for Kodai Senga, the newly recalled José Castillo being brought in to pitch. He got Alec Bohm to ground into a double play, after which Alec Bohm and the Phillies complained about two microphones in the batters eye in their line of sight, which led to a lengthy delay as the grounds crew attempted to resolve the situation before finally removing the microphone. Brandon Marsh then grounded out on the first pitch he saw after the delay. Juan Soto drew a one out walk for the first baserunner in the bottom of the fifth, then was nearly picked off but was safe on a missed catch error by Stott. Marte walked, then Vientos hit another two-out double to drive Soto in and put the Mets ahead. Nimmo ended the inning after that but the Mets were now ahead with four more innings to go.

Tyler Rogers came in to replace Castillo in the sixth, and he got a perfect inning to keep the Mets in the lead. Tyrone Taylor led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, then Luis Torrens hit a one-out double to drive him in and give the Mets an insurance run. That also drove Sanchez from the game, bringing in former Met David Robertson in relief. Juan Soto drew a two-out walk and Marte followed that with a single to drive in the Mets sixth run. Alonso grounded out to end the inning but the Mets had scored six unanswered runs in two innings.

Brooks Raley was the pitcher for the Mets in the seventh, and he too had a perfect inning. Jordan Romano came in to replace Robertson for the Phillies, and he started things off by hitting Vientos with a pitch. Baty came in to run for Vientos, and a NImmo walk and Taylor single loaded the bases with no outs. McNeil hit a sacrifice fly to bring Baty in to score as the Mets seventh run, then Luis Torrens hit a three run home run to put the Mets ahead by a very healthy margin. The inning ended after that, but the Mets had a large margin for error with just two innings to go.

In the eighth, Ryan Helsley came in and had a clean inning, a rarity for his Mets tenure thus far. Joe Ross replaced Jordan Romano. Another inning for the Mets started with a player being hit by a pitch, this time Starling Marte. Baty drew a one-out walk, and Taylor hit a two-out single to drive in Marte for the Mets eleventh run. McNeil and Torrens hit back to back singles to put the Mets lead up to ten runs going into the ninth. Ryne Stanek came in to close the game, and with the exception of a one-out walk to Harrison Bader, he did so with ease.

After so many losses on the backs of starting pitchers where the offense was unable to come back, this win was a nice respite from that. The Mets won the first of seven games between the rivals that will be happening in three weeks, and it was a much needed win in their hunt for a playoff spot over the final weeks of the season.

Big Mets winner: Mark Vientos, +14.7% WPA
Big Mets loser: Kodai Senga, -20.3% WPA
Mets pitchers: +3.2% WPA
Mets hitters: +46.8% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Vientos’ RBI double in the fifth inning, +16.9% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Alec Bohm’s 2-RBI single in the third inning, -16.5% WPA

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