PHILADELPHIA — Missing their team leader, the Mets looked like they were cruising to a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
Without Francisco Lindor, the Mets took a big lead on the Phillies early. But their NL East rivals got a big performance from their leader, Bryce Harper, who hit two home runs off Luis Severino brought the Phillies to within one run of tying the Mets.
The Mets’ bullpen, which had been so reliable since its makeover at the trade deadline, couldn’t hold a lead. The Phillies scored three runs between the seventh and eighth to win 6-4 and even the series.
Up 4-0, left-hander Danny Young put two on to start the seventh inning and nearly threw a ball right through the laces of glove of Jose Iglesias trying to field a sacrifice bunt. The Phillies then pinch-hit for Kody Clemens with right-hander Weston Wilson and Mets played the matchup, countering with right-hander Reed Garrett.
The hard-throwing righty struck out Wilson, getting him to look at a 99 MPH fastball for strike 3. But Garrett couldn’t finish off Cal Stevenson. He had the outfielder at 3-2 before he lined a two-run double to right field, putting the Phillies ahead 5-4.
Stevenson robbed J.D. Martinez of a tying home run in the top of the eighth. Martinez led off with a deep drive right to the Philadelphia bullpen, but Stevenson tracked it all the way back and reached over the fence, coming up with the catch.
Ryne Stanek gave up another run in the eighth, leaving the Mets down two runs.
Right-hander Carlos Estevez pitched around a single by Luisangel Acuña to convert the save in the ninth.
As has been the case so often this season, a walk burned the Mets. With the Amazins’ up 4-1 in the sixth after Harper’s first home run — a solo shot in the fourth — Severino got two outs in the sixth before walking Trea Turner. Harper then hit his second homer to close the gap.
The Harper homers were the only blemishes on Severino’s outing. The right-hander gave up three earned runs on three hits, walked one and struck out five over six innings.
The Mets wasted no time putting the Phillies in a hole. Left-hander Kolby Allard loaded the bases in the first inning and walked Starling Marte to put the first run on the board. Allard stranded the bases loaded, but the Mets had already managed to put a dent in his pitch count.
Mark Vientos led off the third inning with a double to the left field corner and Brandon Nimmo single to left. Pete Alonso reached on an error by Clemens, who overthrew first base on the putout, allowing Vientos to score from third.
With one out, Marte sent a deep fly to the right-center field wall, clearing the bases with a triple. The Mets went up 4-0.
Acuña made his big league debut, going 2-for-4, earning his first Major League hit with a single off former Mets right-hander Taijuan Walker in the fourth.