Remembering Mets History (2022) Mets Sweep Phils in Another Comeback - Walk Off Win

Sunday May 29th, 2022: Buck Schowalter's first place Mets (31-17) were enjoying the largest lead the franchise ever had going into Memorial Day. The Mets were 8.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. 

Tonight, they went for the series sweep of Joe Girardi's Philadelphia Phillies (21-26) trying to put them a good 10.5 games back. 

A big crowd of 36,513 came out to Citi Field for the Holiday weekend Sunday Night Baseball game.

The Mets Chris Bassitt (4-2) would get the start against former Met Zack Wheeler (3-3). 

With Brandon Nimmo nursing a sprained wrist & Jeff McNeil dealing with some wear & tear on his legs, the Mets called up Nick Plummer from AAA Syracuse, where he was batting .250 with 6 HRs & 21 RBIs in 24 games. 

Something about the kid Buck Schowalter said he liked.

In the bottom of the 1st, the Mets got a shaky Zack Wheeler right away. Luis Guillorme, who is fitting in comfortably in the leadoff spot batting .355 on the season, led off with a double, his 5th of the year. 

Louie would get two more hits tonight & was batting .556 over his last seven games.

Starling Marte then singled, putting runners on the corners. A Francisco Lindor grounded into what should have been a double play, but more sloppy Phillies fielding, led by a throwing error to home from Rhys Hoskins led to Louie scoring the Mets first run. 

Pete Alonso then hit a fly ball to right field that fell between three Phillies for a single to load the
bases. Eduardo Escobar & Mark Canha's ground outs both led to Mets runners scoring giving the Mets a 3-1 lead.

Chris Bassitt put in another fine performance; he went six innings allowing one run on just two hits. He struck out seven & walked three. 

Bassitt got the Mets to the 7th inning, then Drew Smith came on getting the first two outs. Next J.T. Realmuto hit a comebacker to the mound that Smith tried to bare hand. He botched the play as Realmuto reached base. Worse for Smith, he ended up dislocating his pinky & had to be removed from the game.

Joley Rodriguez got Odubel Herrera to ground out to end the inning. In the 8th Joley walked the leadoff man. He got Kyle Schwarber to ground out but then walked Alec Bohm. In a big situation with the tying runs on base, he got Bryce Harper to fly out to the new Met, Nick Plummer in left.

Buck went to the bullpen to set up the match he wanted in Adam Ottavino vs. Nick Castellanos. Ottavino got the first two strikes, then gave up a three run HR, to put the Phillies ahead. It was the first HR Castellanos had hit in 76 at bats.

After the 1st inning, Wheeler had settled down to shut the door on the Mets. Next Phillies relievers, Brad Hand & Jeurys Familia got through the 7th inning. In the bottom of the 8th, Seranthony Dominguez retired the Mets in order.

For the Mets, in the top of the 9th, Stephen Nogosek, who hadn't allowed a run thru his first three games, had an easy inning. 

In the bottom of the 9th, the Phils Corey Knebel came on to try to close it out. In his first career at bat, the Mets Nick Plummer blasted a HR into the right field upper deck to tie the game up at four, to the delight of the Citi Field fans.  Welcome to the Big Leagues Nick Plummer. 

Trivia: Nick Plummer is the 14th Met in franchise history to hit a HR in his first career at bat. In 2012, ten years ago to the day, the current Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner had been the last Mets player to do so.

In the top of the 10th, Eduardo Escobar made a spectacular snow cone catch, over into the Phillies dug out, robbing Schwaber of his at bat, Edwin Diaz walked Bryce Harper & with two outs struck out Roman Quinn looking for the third out.

In the bottom of the 10th, with Starling Marte placed on second & one out, Pete Alonso was walked intentionally to get to the slumping Eduardo Escobar. 

Escobar delivered with a sharp liner to right field, that Odubel Herrera couldn't get to, scoring Marte from third for the walk off win. 

It was Escobar's 13th double on the year & a much needed hit to get him going.

Quotes- Eduardo Escobar: "One swing changes everything. It made my day."