The San Diego Padres got some help from the Mets, who beat the Phillies to enhance the Pads' playoff position.
The San Diego Padres went into the second game of their three-game set against the Marlins in a flat-footed tie with two other teams in the wild card race, but the New York Mets helped the Padres out by blasting the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-3, to do more damage to the Phillies’ wild-card status.
The starters were Christian Scott and Andrew Painter, and the Mets scored first with a run in the second off Painter. The run came courtesy of a solo blast from Carson Benge, who hit 19th home run in what’s become a record-setting rookie season.
The Phillies got the run back in the fourth, as Bryce Harper blooped a double to left, and Alec Bohm roped a single up the middle with the infield drawn in to make it 1-1.
The Phillies took the lead in the fifth and knocked out Scott in the process, starting with a run-scoring sacrifice fly from Harper. Alec Bohm drove home another run with a single to left that put the Mets behind, 3-1.
But Fracisco Alvarez broke out of a 1-for-10 slump in this game, with his big hit being a three-run homer to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. The Mets then added two more in the sixth on an RBI single from Brett Baty, followed by a walk to Ronnie Mauricio with the bases loaded from Phillies reliever Chase Shugart, who tried to pick up former Mets reliever Brooks Raley when Raley had a tough go of it.
The Mets broke the game open in the eighth with a paper-cut rally that started with yet another walk with the bases loaded, this one to Francisco Lindor. Juan Soto then singled home a run, and Bo Bichette did the same with a flare to right. Benge then dribbled a single down the third base line to get yet another run home, and when the action was over it was a 10-3 game.
It was Benge’s 156th hit of the season, which broke Pete Alonso’s rookie record for most hits, and the Mets bullpen did a fine job picking up Scott after the fifth as a series of five Mets relievers gave the Phils just three hits in 4-1/3 innings.
The loss was devastating for the Phillies, and it gave the Padres a potential cushion. San Diego was still tied with the Chicago Cubs as they start their game, but the worst they can do after the Mets win is to stay in a tie with Philadelphia for second wild card.
