Alvarez and Nimmo did most of their damage in a three-run fifth inning, taking Nola deep after he cruised through the first four frames. Alvarez’s shot, his second three-run homer in as many at-bats, clanged off the left-field foul pole, shifting the momentum squarely in New York’s favor. Nimmo followed with another three-run blast, sending a hanging breaking ball into the right-field seats. Nola (12-8) couldn’t recover, surrendering six runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings, marking his second straight start without lasting five innings.
He’s given up 10 runs in his last two outings, a troubling stretch eerily similar to last September, when he struggled before finding his form late in the year.
Despite a ninth-inning, three-run homer from Brandon Marsh off Alex Young, the Phillies couldn’t muster much against Quintana, who didn’t walk a batter and threw 62 of his 94 pitches for strikes. The veteran lefty struck out four and scattered three singles across his seven dominant innings.
New York, winners of 12 of their last 14, continued to make up ground in the playoff race, pulling within seven games of the Phillies while maintaining a one-game edge over Atlanta for the final NL Wild Card spot. The two teams will meet six more times over the next 10 days in a stretch that could decide more than just the division standings.
Francisco Lindor added an RBI double but left the game in the seventh inning with lower back soreness. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the move was precautionary, and Lindor would have stayed in had the score been closer.
The series continues Saturday as the Phillies look to bounce back and reassert their control in the NL East.
