Phillies surge past Mets with six-run seventh inning, claim first place in NL East

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Bryson Stott hit a bases-clearing triple in a six-run seventh inning and the Philadelphia Phillies surged past the slumping New York Mets into first place in the NL East with a 10-2 victory on Friday night.

Nick Castellanos homered for the Phillies, who opened the three-game set between division rivals with their eighth win in their last nine games.

Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil homered for New York, which has lost seven straight.

Reliever Reed Garrett (2-3) started the seventh for the Mets but failed to retire any of the five batters he faced after opening the frame by giving up doubles to Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner.

Alec Bohm’s RBI single put Philadelphia in front 4-2, ending Garrett’s night. Justin Garza then surrendered an RBI single to Castellanos before Stott’s drive off the wall in left-center.

After Phillies starter Zack Wheeler could only get through five scoreless innings, New York took advantage against Taijuan Walker. Alonso opened the sixth by hitting a 90-mph cutter into the batter’s eye in center for his 18th of the season. McNeil tied it with a drive to right.

After Walker got an out and allowed a single, Tanner Banks (2-0) came in and blanked the Mets over 1 2/3 strong innings.

J.T. Realmuto followed Castellanos closely home on Stott’s hit, sliding safely to the plate at nearly the same time.

4 – Number of strong defensive plays by Phillies first baseman Otto Kemp. Filling in for injured slugger Bryce Harper, Kemp made good plays in the fifth and sixth to catch foul balls off the bat of Tyrone Taylor. In the seventh, snared Turner’s long throw from second to put out Brandon Nimmo before ending the inning with a diving stop of Juan Soto’s hard liner before flipping to Banks.

Mets RHP Griffin Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA) opposes Philadelphia RHP Mick Abel (2-0, 2.21) on Saturday night.