Jeff McNeil hit the go-ahead three-run homer in the fourth inning Saturday night for the host New York Mets, who locked up another series win by routing the Philadelphia Phillies 8-2.
The Mets, who have won the first two games of the three-game set, are 12-2-1 in 15 series this season. The Phillies have lost four of five and nine of 13.
The Mets wasted no time rallying after the Phillies took a 2-1 lead against Taijuan Walker (3-0) in the top of the fourth. Francisco Lindor drew a leadoff walk against Zach Eflin (1-4) and went to third on Pete Alonso’s single before McNeil homered into the second deck.
McNeil flipped his bat and gazed into the home dugout before beginning his home run trot.
The Mets added three more runs in the fifth when Luis Guillorme singled with one out and went to third on Starling Marte’s double. They both scored when Lindor tripled in between left fielder Kyle Schwarber and center fielder Odubel Herrera. Alonso followed with a sacrifice fly — his 29th RBI of the month, the most ever in May by a New York player.
Lindor had an RBI single in the seventh for the Mets.
New York opened the scoring when Dominic Smith lofted a sacrifice fly in the second. Guillorme, inserted atop the lineup when Brandon Nimmo was scratched due to a sprained wrist, reached base in all four plate appearances via three hits and a walk.
Walker, opposing the Phillies for the fourth time in seven starts this season, allowed the two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out one over five innings.
The Phillies built their rally against Walker when Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos led off the fourth with singles and Rhys Hoskins drew a one-out walk. Then J.T. Realmuto laced a two-run single to right.
Harper, Castellanos and Realmuto had two hits apiece.
Eflin allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings.
–Field Level Media
