Phillies and Mets to meet in NLDS; schedule and broadcast crew announced

With a 4-2 win over the Brewers on Thursday night, the Mets punched their ticket to the National League Division Series, setting up a showdown with the Phillies this weekend. It will be the first time in history the two NL East rivals meet in the postseason. Game 1 is set for Saturday at 4:08 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park.

 

The Phillies and Mets, who faced off 13 times during the regular season, were evenly matched, with the Phillies holding a slim 7-6 edge in the series. Three of the Mets' wins, however, came with Taijuan Walker on the mound for Philadelphia. In a best-of-five series, that slight edge means little — especially with the star power the Mets bring in Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.

 

Thursday's Wild Card Game 3 had all the drama you'd expect in October baseball. Down 2-0 heading into the ninth inning, the Mets looked overmatched against Brewers closer Devin Williams, one of the game’s most dominant arms. But Williams faltered, walking a batter before surrendering a three-run homer to Alonso. Starling Marte tacked on an insurance run with an RBI single, scoring Jesse Winker, sealing the Mets’ 4-2 victory.

 

Now, the Mets head to Philadelphia riding a wave of momentum, having gone 40-27 in the second half to secure the final NL Wild Card spot. But their pitching staff is far from fresh. José Quintana started Thursday, and David Peterson recorded the save, leaving Mets manager Buck Showalter with decisions to make about his rotation. 

 

As of Thursday night, the Mets had yet to announce their Game 1 starter.

 

For the Phillies, Zack Wheeler — a former Met — is expected to take the ball in Game 1 after another Cy Young-worthy season. Manager Rob Thomson hasn’t committed to a Game 2 starter, but his recent comments suggest Cristopher Sánchez could get the nod over Aaron Nola.

 

Here’s the full schedule for the NLDS:

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 5 @ Citizens Bank Park, 4:08 p.m. ET
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 6 @ Citizens Bank Park, 4:08 p.m. ET
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 8 @ Citi Field, Time TBD
Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 9 @ Citi Field, Time TBD
Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 11 @ Citizens Bank Park, Time TBD

 

FOX announced the broadcast crew for the NLDS on Thursday, with Adam Amin handling play-by-play duties and former All-Stars A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright providing color commentary.