NLDS: Phillies Walk Off Mets in Wild Game Two

The Phillies celebrate a walk-off win over the Mets in Game 2 of the 2024 NLDS.

Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

October 6, 2024

Phillies 7, Mets 6

A walk-off single by Nick Castellanos with two outs in the bottom of the ninth gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 7–6 win over the New York Mets, evening the best-of-five NL Division Series at one game apiece. The single capped off a see-saw battle at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, a game that saw the teams combine for seven runs in the final three innings.

“I feel great for him. He’s been working every day. Comes in early, hits one-on-one on the field,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Castellanos in the postgame press conference. He added, “That was a big night for him tonight, the home run to tie it up and then the base hit to win it.”

Mets – Phillies Game Summary

The Mets took a 2–0 lead in the top of the third off a two-run homer by third baseman Mark Vientos. A solo homer by first baseman Pete Alonso made it a 3–0 game in the top of the sixth. The Phillies pulled even in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back homers, a prodigious two-run blast by first baseman Bryce Harper followed by a solo shot from Castellanos.

A two-out solo homer from Brandon Nimmo nosed the Mets back in front, 4–3. The lead lasted into the bottom of the eighth. Bryson Stott ripped a one-out, two-run triple to the right-field corner, putting the home nine back in front. He scored on a dribbler to third by J.T. Realmuto, sending the game to the ninth with the Phillies leading, 6–4.

As the Mets have been apt to do this postseason, they tied it up late. This time, it was a two-run homer by Vientos, his second bomb of the game. But the Phillies responded in the bottom of the ninth, beginning with Trea Turner drawing a two-out walk. He advanced to second when Bryce Harper followed with another walk. Castellanos came up next and ripped the game-winning liner to left.

What Went Right for the Mets

Mark Vientos

Vientos had a tremendous day for the Mets, going 3-for-4 with a double, two homers, four RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. In the postgame press conference, manager Carlos Mendoza praised his “ability to slow the game down” and have awareness of the situation. He added, “He continues to come through. It was pretty impressive the way he went the other way and took Sánchez deep, a pitch up in the zone (that he) drove to right field. But then we get down, he gets on top of a fastball from Strahm and ties the game in the ninth.”

Starting Pitching

Luis Severino put up a Quality Start, scattering six hits around six innings. He allowed three runs while walking none and striking out seven. This was the third Quality Start of his postseason career, having done so October 1 against the Milwaukee Brewers and on October 9, 2017, while he was with the New York Yankees. This was the first time he has done so in consecutive playoff starts. Turner commented, “Severino pitched great all year. He’s got good stuff, got good velocity. When he’s spot on, it’s tough to grind him out.”

What Went Wrong for the Mets

Back-end Relief Pitching

Edwin Diaz and Tylor Megill, whom the Mets have often called upon to get big outs in 2024, combined to give up seven runs across the final two innings.

What Went Right for the Phillies

Defense

The Phillies made two sparkling defensive plays in the top of the second to save at least one run. With no outs and a runner on second, second baseman Bryson Stott made a leaping grab of a J.D. Martinez liner up the middle to take away a sure single. Two batters later, first baseman Bryce Harper made a two-out diving stop to his left to field a hot Francisco Alvarez grounder that certainly would have scored the runner from second. What made these plays even bigger was that they erased a throwing error by third baseman Edmundo Sosa, which is what got the runner to second in the first place.

Harper made another diving play in the fifth, this time to his right, snatching a Brandon Nimmo liner out of the air with two outs.

Castellanos made a sliding catch with two outs in the top of the ninth to rob Pete Alonso of a single to shallow right.

Middle-of-the-order Production

Turner, Harper, Castellanos, and Stott — the second through fifth hitters in the batting order — combined to go 8-for-16 with a triple, two homers, six RBI, and three walks. Additionally, they scored all seven of the Phillies’ runs.

What Went Wrong for the Phillies

Relief Pitching

No Phillies reliever to enter the game with a lead kept it.

Quick Hits

Mark Vientos is the first Met to hit multiple homers in a postseason game since Michael Conforto on October 31, 2015, in Game Four of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. The last to do it in a playoff (postseason but not the World Series) game was Carlos Beltran, who did so in Game Four of the 2006 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Castellanos’ single was the fifth walk-off hit in Phillies postseason history. He joins George Vukovich (1981 NLE Div Series, G4, 10th inn. homer), Kim Batiste (1993 NLCS, G1, 10th inn. double), Carlos Ruiz (2008 WS, G3, 9th inn. single), and Jimmy Rollins (2009 NLCS, G4, 9th inn. double). … All five Phillies hitters to start a playoff game on their birthday have recorded at least one hit. They are Stott (Sunday), Harper (10/16/2023, NLCS G1), Placido Polanco (10/10/2010, NLDS G3), Pat Burrell (10/10/2008, NLCS G2), and Jose Cardenal (10/7/1978, NLCS G4).

Quotes

“He’s Nick Castellanos, he’s a professional hitter, and he’s hit his whole career. He came up big for us a lot this year. It feels like every walk-off hit is Nick. That’s who he is. His heart rate doesn’t get up. It stays the same and gets the swing off.” — Bryson Stott on Nick Castellanos

“(Our team is) a bunch of experienced guys. They’ve been through it before. They have a slow heartbeat, and they understand situations and they just keep battling. It’s a very resilient club. And you can see the same thing with the Mets, they’re not going to quit either. This is shaping up to be a classic battle.” — Rob Thomson

Looking Ahead

Jeff Hoffman picked up the win in relief as Tylor Megill took the loss. There was no save.

The Mets and Phillies will play Game Three of this best-of-five series Tuesday at Citi Field in New York. Aaron Nola (14–8, 3.57 ERA in 2024 regular season) will take the hill for the Phillies, facing Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (12–6, 3.47 ERA in 2024 regular season). First pitch will be at 5:08 pm Eastern on FS1.