The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Mets edge Phillies in extras in doubleheader opener
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso and Jonathan Villar each hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to give the New York Mets a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the first game of their doubleheader Tuesday.
Dominic Smith socked an early tworun homer for the Mets, who took the opener of a fourgame series between NL East rivals in extra innings. Both games of the singleadmission twinbill, booked to make up Monday night’s rainout at Citi Field, were scheduled for seven innings in keeping with a rules change introduced during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
With the Mets down a run, Alonso opened the bottom of the eighth with a sharp single off Hector Neris (0-1) that scored placement runner Francisco Lindor from second. It was New York’s first hit since the second inning.
Jeff McNeil beat out a potential double-play ball, Michael Conforto walked and James McCann’s infield single loaded the bases with one out.
Villar, who entered as a pinch-runner in the seventh, lofted a full-count pitch to left-center over the head of left fielder Andrew McCutchen, playing shallow in hopes of cutting off the winning run.
“It’s good to see those big hits in those moments,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said. “You can see the guys’ timing coming together.”
Aided by McCann’s passed ball, the Phillies went ahead 3-2 in the top of the eighth against Trevor May when McCutchen scored from third on Didi Gregorius’ two-out infield single.
May (1-1) then struck out Jean Segura with two runners in scoring position and got his first win for the Mets.
Philadelphia tied it 2-all after Rhys Hoskins drew his first walk of the season leading off the sixth against reliever Miguel Castro. Hoskins scored when Segura legged out a two-out dribbler to third for an infield single on an 0-2 pitch.
Taijuan Walker struck out eight over 4 1/3 innings in his second start with the Mets, again showing some increased velocity on multiple pitches in his repertoire.
“I feel like today I had all five that were swing-andmiss pitches,” Walker said. “I just thought it was an overall great team win, and get ready for the second one now.”
The right-hander was pulled following consecutive walks in the fifth, and the Mets escaped the inning with a one-run lead thanks to a terrific defensive play by substitute third baseman Luis Guillorme to thwart a double steal.
“That was a game-changer,” Rojas said.
Brandon Nimmo drew a leadoff walk from Chase Anderson in the first inning and Smith put New York on top with his second homer this season.
Nimmo entered leading the majors with a .565 onbase percentage. Smith, raised to third in the lineup with the slumping Conforto dropped to sixth, also hit a two-run shot off Anderson a week prior in Philadelphia.