Heroes, zeros and the full inside pitch from the Mets’ 5-1 win over the Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday:
Hero
There were several bats that came up huge in the five-run, game-changing eighth inning, but Mark Vientos’ two-strike single into left drove in the game-tying run and supplied the first dosage of hope.
Zero
Phillies All-Star Jeff Hoffman, who pitched to a 2.17 ERA this year, watched Zack Wheeler throw seven scoreless innings and proceeded to serve up a pair of hits and one walk and get charged with three runs.
Unsung hero
David Peterson, bounced from a start by the returning Kodai Senga, took over in the third inning and pitched three scoreless frames, beginning a dominant run from the Mets bullpen.
Key stat
1: Hits by the Mets until the eighth. Things would soon change, the Mets knocking seven more in the final two innings.
Quote of the Day
“Resilient. I feel like that just kind of sums up who we are. You put us in a corner, we’re going to fight our way out of it.”
— Reed Garrett