PHILADELPHIA — Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are the biggest names, and biggest stars, on the team from Queens. They are 1 and 1A on your list of orange-and-blue luminaries.

But the kid Mark Vientos is the main man now. Of that there is no denying, and no doubt.

The kid who always thought and said he could rake is doing it up big on the biggest stage. And if he had just a little more help, the Mets would be heading home in a commanding position instead of tied at one game apiece after Philly’s rousing 7-6 walk-off victory Sunday.

Vientos hit a pair of book-end two-run homers, including one to tie things in the ninth. He also doubled and walked in his five plate appearances that carried the potential to be labeled an all-time great Mets performance if only the Mets had hung on. Vientos provided the best of the Mets’ daily late-game heroics, but this time the Phillies beat the Mets at their own game, staging three late-game rallies to even the Division Series.

READ MORE

This has almost become routine for the Mets.

With one out in the ninth, and trailing the Phillies by two runs, Mark Vientos drilled a pitch over the left-center field fence to tie the game 6-6.

Unfortunately for the Mets, the Phillies had some ninth-inning magic of their own, as Nick Castellanos hit a walk-off single to give Philly the win and tie the series 1-1.

READ MORE

PHILADELPHIA — Another almost improbable Mets victory turned into a gut punch Sunday night.

One miracle short, the Mets couldn’t survive the bottom of the ninth after Mark Vientos’ second homer of the game a half-inning earlier had his team harboring dreams of heading to Queens within a victory of reaching the NLCS.

But Tylor Megill surrendered a walk-off RBI single to Nick Castellanos in the bottom of the inning, sending the Mets to a 7-6 loss to the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS at Citizens Bank Park.

READ MORE

Nick Castellanos delivers for the Phillies with two outs and two strikes in the ninth, giving Philadelphia a dramatic 7-6 win over the Mets.

The series is tied a 1-1 and going back to Queens in what has been a wild NLDS.

Pete Alonso flies out, and we're going to the bottom of the ninth tied at 6-6. What a ballgame in Philly.

Wow. Mark Vientos homers to tie the game up at 6-6. The Mets storm back in the last inning again.

After Harrison Bader whiffs, Francisco Lindor hits a two-strike single up the middle with Mark Vientos coming up.

After the Phillies answer with three to take the lead, the Mets will have the nine spot and then the top of the order up in the ninth to face Philadelphia lefty Matt Strahm.

After the Mets replace Edwin Diaz with Tylor Megill, JT Realmuto's infield dribbler cannot be handled by Mark Vientos, and the Phillies go up 6-4 in the eighth.

Bryson Stott puts the Phillies on top with a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth. Keeping in Diaz for the middle of the order does not work out for the Mets. 5-4 Phillies with one out in the eighth.