PHILADELPHIA — Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo keyed another late comeback for their team, helping the New York Mets break through for five runs in the eighth inning against a pair of MLB All-Star relievers as they rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 on Saturday in Game 1 of their best-of-five National League Division Series.
“It puts pressure on the other side right away,” Nimmo said.
The sixth-seeded Mets had been stymied by Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, with the visitors held to just one hit while trailing 1-0 after seven innings.
And then with Wheeler lifted after nine strikeouts and a startling 30 swings-and-misses over 111 pitches, the Mets — whose whirlwind week included a victory in a makeup doubleheader at Atlanta to clinch a postseason spot and three games in the wild-card round at Milwaukee — pounced against eventual losing pitcher Jeff Hoffman and fellow reliever Matt Strahm in the eighth.
In true New York fashion this October, the Mets had to rally, not just on the scoreboard, but with a gut check in each critical at-bat against the second-seeded Phillies.
