This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The New York Mets improved their chances at making the playoffs Saturday — and got a glimpse at their potentially bright future.
The Mets will look to maintain their lead in the race for the final National League wild-card spot Sunday night when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in their regular-season home finale.
Tylor Megill (4-5, 4.08 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against fellow right-hander Zack Wheeler (16-6, 2.56).
The Mets prevented the Phillies from clinching the NL East Saturday as 22-year-olds Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuna each homered in a 6-3 win.
Alvarez added a key two-run double in the seventh for the Mets (86-69), who remained two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the race for the final NL wild card spot and one game behind the second wild card, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Alvarez has homered in each of his past two games and five times in the past nine dating back to Sept. 11.
“He’s been working really hard behind the scenes for months,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And finally it’s paying off.”
Acuna, the younger brother of Braves outfielder and reigning NL Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuna Jr., is hitting .385 with three homers and 23 total bases in his first eight big league games since he was promoted from Triple-A Syracuse Sept. 14.
“Unbelievable production from Acuna,” Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo said. “I mean, to ask a young guy like him to come in and step in like he’s doing — you don’t see that everyday.”
The Phillies (92-63) are hoping they only have to wait one more day to clinch the NL East for the first time since 2011. Philadelphia, which entered Saturday tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the NL, is four games ahead of the NL Central-winning Brewers.
“The biggest thing for us is that we want to be able to get the division,” Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber said. “But also, two, we want to keep winning baseball games until the end of the season.”
Megill continued his late-season resurgence last Tuesday night, when he earned the win after allowing an unearned run over six innings as the Mets beat the Washington Nationals 10-1. He is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in four starts — all of which New York has won — since being recalled from Syracuse on Aug. 30.
Megill is 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA in five career starts against the Phillies. He was the starting pitcher and earned the win on April 29, 2022, when he and four relievers teamed up to no-hit Philadelphia in a 3-0 victory.
Wheeler also remained hot Tuesday, when he won his fourth straight start after giving up one run over seven innings as the Phillies defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1. He has a 1.38 ERA during the winning streak.
Wheeler, who played with the Mets from 2013 through 2019 before signing with the Phillies in December 2019, is 5-4 with a 3.64 ERA in 14 starts against New York.
–Field Level Media
