Field Level Media
Jun 25, 2021
Dominic Smith's RBI single in the eighth inning lifted the host New York Mets to a 2-1 victory over the Phillies in the opener of Friday's doubleheader, ruining a historic strikeout performance from Philadelphia's Aaron Nola.
The Mets, who were one out away from a 1-0 loss before Francisco Lindor's RBI single in the seventh, have won three of five. The Phillies have lost four straight and seven of nine.
The rally cost Nola the victory on a memorable day for the right-hander. He tied Tom Seaver's major league record by striking out 10 consecutive batters and later delivered the Phillies' lone RBI with a fifth-inning double.
Nola's day began in inauspicious fashion when he hit leadoff batter Jeff McNeil and surrendered a double to Francisco Lindor. But the 28-year-old struck out the next 10 batters on 46 pitches to tie the record set across the street from Citi Field at Shea Stadium on April 22, 1970, when Seaver -- dubbed "The Franchise" -- struck out the final 10 San Diego Padres batters he faced in a Mets 2-1 win.
Nola struck out Michael Conforto on a 1-2 pitch leading off the fourth for the record-tying strikeout. The ball was tossed into the Phillies dugout for preservation.
Nola moved within a strike of breaking the record before Pete Alonso doubled just fair down the first base line as the crowd of Citi Field erupted.
Nola also did damage with his bat against Taijuan Walker, who retired the first eight batters before Nola hit a long single to left. The Phillies didn't get a runner beyond first until the fifth, when Nick Maton worked a two-out walk and Nola laced an RBI double to right.
Nola appeared to tire in the sixth, when he plunked Lindor leading off the inning and got Conforto to ground out before walking Alonso. Jose Alvarado entered and walked Dominic Smith to load the bases before wriggling out of the jam.
Nola walked one and finished with 12 strikeouts, tying a career high. He gave up two hits.
Luis Guillorme led off the seventh by hitting a comebacker to Alvarado, who overthrew first baseman Rhys Hoskins as Guillorme raced to second. Guillorme took third on McNeil's groundout for the second out before scoring on Lindor's single.
Seth Lugo (1-0) issued an intentional walk but struck out three in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, Ranger Suarez (3-2) intentionally walked Alonso to bring up Smith, who squared to bunt twice before singling up the middle to score Lindor, the automatic runner.
Walker allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out five over five innings.
--Field Level Media