Field Level Media
Aug 16, 2018
Jose Bautista tied a major league record by collecting seven RBIs off the bench for the New York Mets, who set a bunch of franchise records Thursday afternoon in handing the Phillies a historic 24-4 rout in the opener of a doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The 24 runs and 25 hits are both franchise records for the Mets, snapping marks set exactly 31 years earlier in a 23-10 win over the Chicago Cubs in which New York collected 21 hits.
Bautista's seven RBIs are a career high for the slugger, and he became the first major leaguer to reach that total in a game off the bench since John Mayberry on June 26, 1978.
The Mets recorded the lopsided win just 16 days after suffering the most lopsided defeat in franchise history, a 25-4 loss to the Washington Nationals.
The Mets have scored a whopping 40 runs in winning their last two games. New York scored 35 runs in a 16-game span from May 30 through June 17.
The Phillies, who entered Thursday in a virtual tie with the Milwaukee Brewers for the two National League wild-card spots, have lost five of seven.
The Mets were only up 5-4 before scoring seven unearned runs during a 10-run fifth inning -- the most prolific fifth inning in franchise history and New York's first 10-run inning since Apr. 29, 2016. Bautista, who entered when Brandon Nimmo was hit on the hand and bat earlier in the third, capped the outburst with a grand slam. The inning was extended by two errors.
Nimmo fell to the ground in pain, clutching his hand, after getting hit. The ball bounced to third and the play was ruled a groundout, ending a stretch of 10 straight plate appearances reaching base for the outfielder. X-rays on Nimmo's left index finger were negative.
The Mets scored seven times in the final two innings off position players Roman Quinn and Scott Kingery, who combined to get the final nine outs. Bautista drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home the first run in the eighth and laced an RBI double in the ninth to bring home Wilmer Flores with a doubly historic run. Bautista's seven RBIs off the bench are the most ever by an NL player.
Kevin Plawecki and Amed Rosario each had four hits and three RBIs for the Mets while Austin Jackson, Flores and Michael Conforto had three hits apiece. Every starter had at least two hits for New York except third baseman Todd Frazier (1-for-4), Nimmo (1-for-2) and winning pitcher Corey Oswalt, who was hitless. Relief pitcher Jerry Blevins added an RBI in the eighth.
Oswalt (2-2) earned the win despite giving up four solo homers -- to Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams, Maikel Franco and Jorge Alfaro -- over six innings. He surrendered nine hits overall.
Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (1-1) took the loss after giving up eight runs (four earned) on 11 hits over four innings.
--Field Level Media