The Phillies had spent the previous week making the late innings feel like their property.
On Saturday, the Mets took them back.
Francisco Lindor ripped a two-run triple in the sixth inning, A.J. Ewing followed with a go-ahead two-run single, and New York erased an early Bryce Harper homer to beat the Phillies, 6-2, at Citi Field. The loss dropped the Phillies to 46-37 and stopped a four-game winning streak, while the Mets improved to 35-48 and snapped a seven-game skid in their second game under interim manager Andy Green.
For a while, this looked like another survive-and-scratch Phillies win. Harper gave them a 2-0 lead with his 19th homer, a two-run shot that stood as the only real damage against Mets right-hander Christian Scott. Scott, activated from the injured list before the game, allowed two runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out six.
But the Phillies could not add on. And against a lineup that still has enough star power to change a game quickly, that left the afternoon sitting in a dangerous place.
The Mets finally broke through in the sixth. Lindor’s triple tied the game, and after the Phillies walked the next two batters, Ewing lined a single through a drawn-in infield to give New York its first lead. One inning later, Juan Soto tripled home another run and Bo Bichette added a sacrifice fly to stretch the margin to four.
That was enough for New York’s bullpen, which blanked the Phillies the rest of the way. A.J. Minter, Huascar Brazobán, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams combined to protect the lead and finish off a rare clean ending for a Mets club that had spent most of the week watching games slide away.
The Phillies entered the day on a heater, having won Friday’s opener, 2-1, behind Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner and Derek Hill’s homer-saving catch against Soto. That win gave them four straight victories and six in seven games, continuing a dramatic turnaround under Don Mattingly.
Saturday was a reminder that the margin can still get thin fast.
Harper’s swing supplied the lead. The pitching carried it into the middle innings. But once Lindor split the game open, the Phillies’ offense had no counterpunch. They went from controlling a quiet game to chasing one in a matter of minutes.
For the Mets, it was a badly needed reset after a turbulent stretch that included Carlos Mendoza’s firing and a seven-game losing streak. For the Phillies, it was a missed chance to keep stacking wins against a division rival they have mostly handled during this recent run.
The series continues Sunday at Citi Field, with the Phillies trying to turn one rough inning into a one-day interruption rather than the start of something larger.
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