Villar Walk-Off Hit Propels Mets to 4-3 Game One Win

The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on a walk off hit in Game 1 of a split doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon (Box Score).

Right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker made his second start as a Met going 4 1/3 innings, while allowing one run, striking out eight and walking three.

The Mets jumped out in the lead early off the bat of a Dominic Smith two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, but could not do much more after that, which ultimately let the Phillies back in the game.

Relief pitcher Miguel Castro came on for Walker in the fifth and got out of a jam. However, Castro danced into trouble in the sixth and almost got out of it, but an infield single by Jean Segura tied the game at two.

The struggles with runners in scoring position continued for the Mets as they went 3-for-9 while leaving seven runners on base. Despite having a prime scoring chance in the seventh with first-and-second and no-outs, the Mets failed to drive in the game-winning run, which sent the contest to extra innings.

In the eighth inning, Trevor May was one-out away from escaping a jam, but a passed ball by catcher James McCann allowed the lead runner to go to third — before another infield hit from the Phillies drove in the go-ahead run.

While things looked bleak for the Mets, who were down to their final three outs, Pete Alonso came up clutch with an RBI single to tie the game up at three.

But they weren’t done there as Jonathan Villar sent one to left with the bases loaded and one-out for a walk off single to win it for the Mets

Pitching 

Walker made quick work of the Phillies in the top of the first, striking out the first two batters he faced before inducing a weak grounder off the bat of Bryce Harper in a 1-2-3 inning.

Alec Bohm led off the top of the second with a double off Walker. After picking up his third strikeout of the afternoon, Walker allowed a single to right off the bat of Jean Segura to setup first-and-third for backup catcher Andrew Knapp.

Knapp lifted one to left for a sac-fly to put the Phillies on the board and cut the deficit in half, 2-1. Walker would then strikeout Roman Quinn to end the threat.

Walker struck out the side in the top of third. The right-hander struck out seven out of the first 11 batters he faced on the day.

In the top of the fourth, Walker ran into trouble after issuing a one-out walk and a single. Luckily, he was able to get out of it by inducing Segura to ground into a big 4-6-3 inning ending double play to escape the jam.

Walker issued two walks in the fifth before being lifted for Miguel Castro after just 79 pitches. Castro struck out Andrew McCutchen before Quinn tried stealing third. While James McCann’s throw was high, Guillorme made a leaping grab and tagged Quinn out, who over-slid the bag to end the inning.

Castro stayed on for the sixth and walked the leadoff batter. He then surrendered a single past the shift to Harper setting up first-and-second with no-outs.

While Castro struck out the next batter he faced and induced a ground ball for the second out, Segura hit a slow roller to third, fielded by Guillorme, who could not throw him out. This tied the game at six a piece.

Edwin Diaz pitched a scoreless seventh inning setting down the Phillies 1-2-3 and picking up a strikeout.

Trevor May handled extra inning duties in the eighth with a runner starting on second base. May struck out the first batter he faced before intentionally walking Harper to setup the double play.

Bohm popped out in the infield for the second out, but a passed ball by catcher James McCann put the go-ahead run on third. And this came back to bite the Mets as another dribbler from Didi Gregorius gave the Phillies the lead.

Offense

Phillies right-hander Chase Anderson took the hill against the Mets for the second time this season.

Leading the league with a .565 on-base percentage coming into the day, outfielder Brandon Nimmo led off the game with his seventh walk of the season. Two batters later, Dominic Smith took Anderson deep for a two-run home run to put the Mets up 2-0.

Smith’s homer marked the first time all season, where the Mets have scored runs in the first inning. Jeff McNeil added a two-out single to center field, but the slumping Michael Conforto grounded out to end the frame.

Third baseman Luis Guillorme produced a one-out single in the bottom of the second before advancing to second base on a groundout. However, Guillorme was left stranded in scoring position as Nimmo struck out to end the inning.

Francisco Lindor led off the next inning with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. But the Mets left him stranded.

In the bottom of the fourth, Anderson worked around a two-out walk in a scoreless frame.

The Phillies went to their bullpen in the next frame with JoJo Romero on the mound. Romero walked the pesky Nimmo to leadoff the inning, but was erased by a Lindor double play groundout.

Jose Alvarado came on to handle the bottom of the sixth and plunked Conforto in the elbow guard after throwing at his head on the first pitch. But the Mets could not do much else in a scoreless inning.

Guillorme drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and Kevin Pillar was hit by a pitch to setup first-and-second with no-outs against Connor Brogdon. Unfortunately, the Mets’ woes with runners in scoring position continued as Nimmo, Lindor and Smith failed to drive in the game-winning run.

But in the bottom of the eighth trailing by a run, Pete Alonso stepped to the plate and delivered with an RBI single to plate Lindor and tie the game. With the game still tied, McNeil and Conforto reached base on a fielders choice and a walk to setup first-and-second with one-out for McCann.

McCann hit one up the middle for an infield single to load the bases for pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar. And Villar came through with a walk off single to win it for the Mets.

On Deck

Marcus Stroman (1-0, 1.42 ERA), whose last start was shortened to just nine pitches due to inclement weather, will take the hill for the Mets in Game 2 of the doubleheader tonight against Phillies ace Aaron Nola (0-0, 2.53 ERA).

The Mets will look to sweep the doubleheader in the night cap.

The post Villar Walk-Off Hit Propels Mets to 4-3 Game One Win first appeared on Metsmerized Online.