Christian Scott pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Francisco Alvarez homered twice as the visiting New York Mets notched a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
In the only game on the MLB slate, the Phillies and Mets played in a smoky scene due to spreading Canadian wildfires. The start time was moved up one hour due to worsening air quality, although the game proceeded without significant issues.
Brett Baty also homered in support of Scott (3-1), who gave up three hits without a walk and struck out seven. Trea Turner’s blast in the eighth accounted for the only run for Philadelphia, which was limited to four hits.
New York had a baserunner in each of the first two innings but was unable to create any havoc. In the third, Alvarez opened the scoring with a shot to center off Aaron Nola (3-7) for his first homer since June 30.
J.T. Realmuto reached on a leadoff single in the third for Philadelphia, while Bryce Harper delivered a one-out double in the fourth. However, both times the players failed to advance.
The Mets threatened in their half of the fifth, but Nola escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam with the help of a line-drive double play off the bat of A.J. Ewing.
The Phillies nearly tied the game against Scott in the sixth, as Schwarber’s blast missed being a home run by inches. He was then stranded at second base with Brooks Raley recording the final out of the frame.
Baty and Alvarez opened the seventh with back-to-back homers against Nola, who ended his night after giving up three runs, six hits and four walks with six strikeouts in six-plus innings.
Huascar Brazoban logged a 1-2-3 seventh for the Mets before Luke Weaver pitched the eighth, allowing Turner’s blast in the process.
After Ewing’s RBI double made it 4-1 in the top of the ninth, Devin Williams took care of matters in the bottom half to record his 100th career save.
This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.
