An instant classic.


After hitting the game-winning single, Phillies Nick Castellanos celebrates with his son.

Watching the Mets is fun. Even better is not being a Mets fan so, if they lose, you don’t care.

Mets-Phillies Game 2 was an instant classic. Thirteen runs, twenty-one hits, lead changes, game-tying home runs, oh, and a winning pitcher with an 81.00 ERA.

Announcer and former Rangers catcher A.J. Pierzynski called it the best game he’d ever seen. He must have missed Game 6 of the 2011 World Series but this one was pretty amazing.

New York’s Mark Vientos homered in the third to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. Pete Alonso’s homer in the sixth made it 3-0, with the Mets already up 1-0 in the best-of-five series.

But a two-run homer by Bryce Harper, followed by a solo shot by Nick Castellanos tied the game at 3-3. Suddenly, after getting shutout thirteen innings in a row, the Phillies offense had life. 

The Mets answered back with a Brandon Nimmo home run in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the eighth, with two on, the Phillies Bryson Scott tripled in two runs to put the Phillies ahead 5-4. He scored when the next batter grounded into a fielder’s choice. 

It was 6-4 Phillies heading into the top of the ninth. But the Mets have had late-inning magic. And with one out, Francisco Lindor singled. Then Mark Vientos hit his second home run of the game, to tie it a 6-6. The Phillies brought in a new pitcher,  Jeff Hoffman, the losing pitcher in Game 1 when he gave up three runs without recording an out. He got the next two outs to lower his ERA to 81.00.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Mets got the first two Phillies out quickly. Then they walked Trey Turner. Then they walked Bryce Harper. Then on a 1-2 slider, Nick Castellanos drove a single to left to score Turner and give the Phillies a thrilling 6-5 victory. 

Playoff baseball is amazing. Yesterday’s Mets-Phillies game was one of the best. 

*****  
TODAY’S GAMES: 

3:08, Detroit 0 @ Cleveland 1, TBS

6:38, Kansas City 0 @ New York 1, TBS