That sound you heard echoing through South Philly was the crack of Mets bats interrupting what had been a pretty good June for the Phillies.
New York came into Citizens Bank Park on Saturday with a seven-game losing streak and a lineup that had gone ice-cold. Then came Saturday night. Seven solo home runs later, the Mets looked more like a team finding its swagger than one trying to stop the bleeding.
Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo each homered twice. Francisco Lindor, Jared Young, and Francisco Alvarez joined the party. It was a home run parade, and the Phillies were left waving from the curb.
The Mets tied the Phillies atop the National League East at 46 wins apiece, turning what felt like a chance for the Phillies to build some cushion into a dead-even race. Abel took the loss and it was clear early that the rookie never found a rhythm. He gave up four runs over three innings and was tagged for back-to-back-to-back homers in the third. Lindor broke an 0-for-20 slump with a blast to center. Nimmo followed by pulling a curveball into the right-field seats. Soto capped the flurry by smashing a first-pitch fastball over the wall for his first of two on the night.
The Phillies briefly held a 3-2 lead in the third, but Soto struck again in the fifth, crushing a hanging curve from Joe Ross an estimated 437 feet into the second deck in right. It was the kind of no-doubt swing that takes the air out of a building.
Alec Bohm had two hits and an RBI, but the Phillies offense never really recovered after the third. New York’s bullpen slammed the door with three scoreless innings, while Canning limited the damage over five-plus to earn his seventh win.
The finale is set for Sunday night and the stakes are clear. David Peterson takes the mound for the Mets. Jesús Luzardo gets the ball for the Phillies. After watching seven solo shots fly out of the yard, the Phillies are hoping to flip the script and send a message of their own.>
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