Don’t call it a comeback, comeback, comeback

In a game that featured three different Mets deficits, a rain-delay, three major league debuts from inauspicious prospects, a four-plus hour game time, and a nail-biter of a ninth inning, the Mets clawed back not once, not twice, but thrice, to win the game 10-9.

This game was a slog, almost from the first pitch. Jose Buttó made his MLB debut, and struggled mightily out of the gate. The first five batters reached against him, including a three-run home run by Alec Bohm, and when the Mets finally got up to bat, they were down 4-0.

However, Buttó settled in for a spell, not allowing a run in the second or third inning, and allowed the Mets to chip away at the four-run deficit against Phillies’ starter Kyle Gibson. In the second inning, Michael Perez contributed to his brief Mets’ CV by driving in two on a single which saw J.T. Realmuto drop a seemingly clean throw to the plate, allowing Brett Baty to score. In the third, Daniel Vogelbach doubled to right, scoring Starling Marte, and bringing the Mets within one run.

In the fourth, Marte singled in Nimmo to tie the game and erase the deficit that Buttó put the team in in his first big league inning.

However, in the bottom of the fourth, Bohm struck again with his second three-run homer of the day, just barely glancing the netting on the foul pole to put the Phillies up by three.

Buttó was relieved by yet another first-time Major Leaguer, Nate Fisher. Fisher was on the mound when a 46-minute rain delay hit, but it didn’t effect the 26-year old rookie who, during the early days of the pandemic, was out of baseball and working in financial services. Fisher pitched three scoreless innings, walking two, allowing one hit, and striking out one.

The Mets continued their comeback ways in the seventh, when Mark Canha tied the game with a three-run shot to left-field. Unfortunately, Trevor May was more Buttó than Fisher, and gave up a go-ahead home run to pinch hitter and constant thorn in the Mets’ side, Jean Segura.

David Robertson worked two innings in last night’s Phillies win, and was back out for the ninth today. After giving up a lead-off double to Jeff McNeil - who is on quite the tear right now - Canha played hero yet again, driving another home run to left and putting the Mets up by one.

Jean Segura’s leaping fist bump that knocked his helmet off between first and second was outdone by a massive, almost Céspedes or Cabrera-esque bat flip and a raised arm circling of the bases from Canha. Wow.

Brandon Nimmo then greeted Phillies reliever, and third MLB debut of the day, Tyler Cyr, with a towering home run on his second ever pitch in the big leagues, putting the Mets up by 2.

Edwin Díaz entered, and instantly looked less sharp than you’d hope for your closer to look in a game like this. He gave up two hits in two pitches to Realmuto and Nick Castellanos, putting the tying runs on base in no time. A long fly ball off the bat of Bryson Stott to Marte was caught, but not until bumping into Nimmo, but held onto the ball.

Nick Maton hit a second deep fly ball, this time to Nimmo, that brought in the ninth run, but brought the Phillies down to their final out. That brought back up Segura, who walked to put the winning run on base for yesterday’s one-time position player reliever, Darick Hall.

Hall watched a called third strike to end the game with a dramatic flourish.

That win gave the Mets a series victory, taking three of four from the Phillies, as they also win the season series 14-5. In addition, the Braves lost to the Astros this afternoon, and so the Mets are now four up on Atlanta after a 4-4 road trip against their division rivals.

The Mets start the second half of the Subway Series starting tomorrow in the Bronx, with Max Scherzer going for the Mets and Domingo German going for the Yankees.

Hot damn this team is special.

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Win Probability Added

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What’s WPA?

Big winner: Mark Canha, 78.4% WPA

Big loser: Jose Buttó, -49.4% WPA

Total pitcher WPA: -50.4% WPA

Total batter WPA: 100.4% WPA (don’t ask me how the math works)

Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Canha’s second home run of the game, +47.5% WPA

Teh sux0rest play: Jean Segura’s home run, -26.0% WPA