A pulse could be detected from this Mets lineup over its final seven innings at the plate Tuesday, spanning two games, and that carried the day.
Jonathan Villar delivered a walk-off single in Game 1 and Brandon Nimmo produced generously in the nightcap, allowing the Mets to celebrate a doubleheader sweep of the Phillies in front of 7,611 at Citi Field.
“I love it when everybody plays together,” Villar said after the Mets won 4-3 in eight innings in Game 1, before winning the nightcap 4-0. The uptick came after three straight nine-inning games in which the Mets scored three runs or fewer.
Nimmo reached base five times in the doubleheader. In the nightcap, he finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs in raising his on-base percentage to .581.
Marcus Stroman’s Game 2 gem gave the Mets consecutive victories for the first time this season. Stroman, who threw only nine pitches Sunday before his start against the Marlins was suspended by rain, fired six shutout innings in which he allowed four hits. That followed a strong start by Stroman last week in Philadelphia, in which he allowed one earned run over six innings.
Brandon Nimmo lashes a two-run single in the fourth inning of the Mets’ 4-0 Game 2 win over the Phillies. N.Y. Post: Charles WenzelbergThe Mets got busy against Aaron Nola in the fourth inning of Game 2, with Game 1 hero Villar delivering an RBI double before Nimmo’s two-run single extended the lead to 3-0. Nimmo drove in another run in the sixth with a single after Tomas Nido’s first career triple.
“We have a real solid lineup, so I definitely think I can fall to the back of people’s minds on that,” Nimmo said. “I have been able to take advantage of some mistakes. I’ve had some decent two-strike hitting, which I try to pride myself with and not to do too much.”
Jeff McNeil started the rally in the fourth by reaching on an infield single. He barely beat the throw to first and the Phillies challenged the call, but it was upheld on replay. After Kevin Pillar singled, Villar’s double gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
“Jonathan Villar is the star, because he really took a lot of pressure off of us with getting that big hit in [the fourth],” Nimmo said. “I could feel the dugout take a kind of sigh of relief that we have got a lead and see if we can expand on it. My hat is off to him for coming through in two big ways today.”
In the first game, Villar slashed an eighth-inning RBI single against Hector Neris that completed a wild Mets comeback.
Pete Alonso’s RBI single in the eighth tied it — Francisco Lindor was on second base as the runner to begin the frame per the extra-inning rule (doubleheaders are seven innings per game) — before Villar ended it with a shot to left field.
“I think guys believe what they can do,” manager Luis Rojas said. “Just because we weren’t getting the results I don’t think they went away from it. They just kept pushing. They kept doing it.”
The Mets had only three hits in the game entering that inning and had been 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position before Alonso delivered.
There were boos in the sixth after lefty Jose Alvarado drilled Michael Conforto in the right wrist with a 100-mph fastball. It came after Alvarado threw high-and-tight on Conforto with a fastball of the same magnitude.
Jean Segura’s infield single with two outs in the sixth against Miguel Castro tied it 2-2. Rhys Hoskins walked leading off the inning and Bryce Harper singled, yet Castro was on the cusp of escaping unscathed after striking out Alec Bohm and getting Didi Gregorius to hit into a fielder’s choice. But Segura hit a dribbler to third base and beat Guillorme’s throw, while Hoskins scored to tie the score.
After four strong innings, Game 1 starter Taijuan Walker began to fade in the fifth and was removed with one out. Pinch-hitter Brad Miller drew the Phillies’ second straight walk in the inning, this one on four pitches, prompting Rojas to summon Castro from the bullpen.
Castro struck out Andrew McCutchen on a changeup before the Phillies attempted a double steal and Roman Quinn was tagged out by Guillorme, who had jumped to catch James McCann’s throw. Guillorme landed on Quinn and appeared to move him off the bag with the body blow, allowing for the tag.







