Mets score 10 runs in 3 straight games for 1st time, delay Phillies' playoff clinch with 10-6 win

NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez homered off Taijuan Walker, and the New York Mets scored 10 runs in three straight games for the first time in their 63-season history with a 10-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night.

Philadelphia, which leads the NL East by six games over second-place New York, failed in its second attempt to clinch after losing Wednesday at Milwaukee. The Phillies would clinch a playoff berth with one win over the Mets during the four-game series and would clinch their first division title since 2011 with two victories over the Mets this week.

New York won its fourth straight game and for the 16th time in its last 20, maintaining a two-game lead over Atlanta for the NL’s final wild-card position.

“We know we’re good,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re capable of having games like that.”

Rookie Luisangel Acuña, a brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr., drove in the 10th run with an RBI triple in the seventh off José Alvarado. The Mets were coming off 10-1 and 10-0 routs of Washington and are 61-33 following a 24-35 start.

“It’s pretty amazing that the Mets have played over 10,000 games and we’re the first ones to do this,” Nimmo said, rounding up. “That’s pretty special.”

Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor missed his fourth straight game because of a sore back.

Luis Severino (11-6) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Walker (3-7) made his first start since Aug. 28 after being relegated to three bullpen appearances. He gave up a career-worst four homers along with eight runs, eight hits, three walks and a hit batter in 3 1/3 innings.

“It just didn’t work out,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “My fault.”

Walker's ERA rose to 6.91 in an outing that included his 1,000th strikeout.

“It hasn’t been a good year for me,” he told reporters. “I thought there was a little bit more uptick today, but didn’t execute, didn’t get ahead. When I got two strikes, I didn’t put guys away. Just not getting it done right now at all.”

Philadelphia pitchers walked a season-high eight.

New York’s J.D. Martinez went 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 28 at-bats.

On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy, Vientos put the Mets ahead with his 25th homer, a 113.2 mph line drive down the left-field line. Four pitches later, Alonso hit an opposite-field drive to right-center for his 34th homer, giving the Mets back-to-back long balls for the sixth time this season.

Turner tied the score in the third with his 19th homer, driving the ball 436 feet into the left-field second deck.

Six pitches into the bottom half, Nimmo put the Mets ahead with a 21st home, a two-run drive to right-center. Brandon Marsh’s RBI single closed the Phillies to 4-3 in the fourth, but Alvarez hit his third homer in six starts, a three-run drive in a five-run fourth that boosted the lead to 7-3. Nimmo added an RBI double and scored on Vientos’ single.

Philadelphia closed to 9-6 on Bryce Harper's two-run double off Reed Garrett in a three-run seventh.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Lindor was limited to indoor activities and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said it remains unclear whether he will return this series.

UP NEXT

Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (10-9) starts Friday night against Mets LHP David Peterson (9-2, 2.85), who didn’t get a decision while pitching a season-high 7 2/3 innings in Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Philadelphia.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Luis Severino pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia Phillies' Taijuan Walker reacts after New York Mets' Mark Vientos hit a home run during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper, right, passes New York Mets pitcher Luis Severino as he flips the bat to himself after grounding out during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper reacts during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) celebrates with Pete Alonso, left, after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Mets score 10 runs in 3 straight games for 1st time, delay Phillies' playoff clinch with 10-6 win

Mets score 10 runs in 3 straight games for 1st time, delay Phillies' playoff clinch with 10-6 win

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) gestures to teammates after hitting an RBI double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and the 2024 New York Mets accomplished what the Darryl Strawberry teams of the 1980s and all their other predecessors failed to: score double-digit runs in three straight games.

Alonso, Nimmo, Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez homered in a 10-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night that followed 10-1 and 10-0 routs of the Washington Nationals.

It was the 9,963rd regular-season game in the 63-season history of the Mets, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“Sick,” Alonso said.

A franchise whose success was dependent on the pitching prowess of Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden and Jacob deGrom finds itself fourth in the major leagues with 740 runs — one more than the Phillies.

“It’s pretty amazing that the Mets have played over 10,000 games and we’re the first ones to do this,” Nimmo said, rounding up. “That’s pretty special.”

New York won its fourth straight game and for the 16th time in its last 20, maintaining a two-game lead over Atlanta for the NL’s final wild-card position and improving to 61-33 following a 24-35 start.

And they're doing this without star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who hasn't played since Sunday because of a sore back.

“We know we’re good,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We're capable of having games like that.”

Vientos and Alonso built a 2-0 lead with first-inning homers against Taijuan Walker, who gave up a career-high four long balls.

After Trea Turner's two-run homer off Luis Severino tied the score in the third, Nimmo hit a two-run homer in the bottom half and Alvarez had a three-run drive in a five-run fourth off that clanked of the plexiglass of the second-deck restaurant in left. Nimmo added an RBI double and scored on Vientos’ single.

Rookie Luisangel Acuña, a brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr., drove in the 10th run with an RBI triple in the seventh off José Alvarado.

“We’ve had that trust and belief in each other all year and I think now it’s just coming into fruition, coming to light a little bit more," Alonso said.

Mets home attendance was hurt by the summer 2023 selloff of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander and this season's slow start, down by about 300,000 from last year.

“When Citi’s a vibe and a fun place to play, we totally feed off that,” Alonso said.

After Wednesday's win, Nimmo implored people to fill Citi Field.

“Mets fans, we need you guys to fill this place up!” he said shouted in an on-field interview heard throughout the ballpark. “This place needs to be rockin' on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday! We need your help! We need everybody to get out here! We need this place full! This is playoff baseball. This is what you guys want. Let's go! Let's go Mets!"

A crowd of 35,982 showed up, the most at Citi Field since a Subway Series game against the Yankees in late June.

“It was great energy and a playoff-type atmosphere. Very thankful for that,” Nimmo said. “We need more of it as we go down this stretch and into this weekend. We fed off of it.”

Just three home games remain before a trip to Atlanta and Milwaukee that closes the regular season.

“The more positive energy and the more people that are creating that hostile environment for the road team. I think that just helps us play play better,” Alonso said. “It’s infectious.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Edwin Díaz pitches during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Luisangel Acuña grounds into a force out during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. Acuña was safe at first base on the play. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Luisangel Acuña, center, celebrates with teammates after a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) gestures to teammates after hitting an RBI double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)