September 23 – Brandon Nimmo hits a home run in the sixth inning and the surging New York Mets once again keep the Philadelphia Phillies from winning the National League East championship with a 2–1 win in the final game of a four-game series on Sunday night.
The Mets (87-69) have won three of four games against the Phillies (92-64), who can clinch the division title if they win on Saturday or Sunday.
New York has an 18-5 record in its last 23 games and is tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second NFC wild-card spot, but later lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 10-9. Both teams are two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves, with whom the Mets will begin a three-game series starting Tuesday.
Alex Boeheim had an RBI single in the first game for the Phillies, loading the bases against Tyler Magill. The Mets scored off Zach Wheeler (16-16) with two outs in the second inning when Mark Vientos loaded the bases and tied the score on Tyrone Taylor’s 7) single.
Over the next three innings, the two teams combined to put just one runner in scoring position before Nimmo hit Wheeler’s first pitch in the sixth over the right field wall.
Mets relievers Phil Marten (3-3), Jose Buteau and Edwin Diaz combined to pitch five innings of one-hit ball. Diaz, who had four saves in Saturday’s 6-3 win, recorded his 20th save in the final six outs Sunday.
The right-hander gave up a one-out single in the eighth inning to Trea Turner, who stole second and third, but ran into trouble when Diaz followed with a grounder and Boeheim was taken out of the field. Diaz walked Bryson Stout and Brandon Marsh in the ninth inning, then ended the game by striking out Kody Clemens.
It was Díaz’s first save in six games since August 4, 2022.
José Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a 2–4 innings. Taylor also had two hits.
Turner and Nick Castellanos each had two hits for the Phillies.
Megill allowed one run on four hits, two walk-offs, and six strikeouts in four innings.
Wheeler was unfortunate in the loss, giving up two runs on seven hits, one run on four walks and striking out eight in seven innings.
——Visual-level media
