The NFL has the phrase “any given Sunday” because on any given Sunday, anyone has a chance to win. In 2018, the New York Mets proved MLB could use the phrase “any given day.” At 51-67, they went to Philadelphia to play the Phillies whose 66-53 record had them look far superior. It was Thursday, August 16 with a 4:08pm start time. In what was only a 3-hour and one-minute game, the Mets managed to put up a team-record 24 runs scored.
Any team can have one of those outrageous days. The 2018 Mets doing it with their lineup makes it more Amazin.
The 24-run Mets win over the Phillies in 2018 was proof anyone can win big on any night
Corey Oswalt vs. Ranger Suarez was the pitching matchup, which certainly favors the Phillies when we look at how the pair developed. Suarez was chased in the fifth with Mark Leiter Jr. asked to get through an inning where he’d face 11 batters and no help from the manager to save him from complete annihilation.
Until that fifth inning, it was a back-and-forth game with the Mets leading 5-4. Amed Rosario led off with a home run. The Mets scattered a few more hits with the Phillies coming back and hammering 4 solo home runs. It was all they’d score in this beating.
A single, double, and a balk plated a run. Another single extended the Mets’ lead.
Two errors in the inning plus a Jose Bautista grand slam put an exclamation point on things. He drove in 7 runs to lead the Mets. He was one of 7 players to score 3 or more runs, Rosario leading with 4.
Post-trade deadline, this was not a memorable Mets lineup. Rosario, Austin Jackson, and Wilmer Flores were the first three. Michael Conforto and Todd Frazier in subpar seasons followed. Brandon Nimmo, Jose Reyes, and Kevin Plawecki followed. Ironically, it was Nimmo who exited and allowed Bautista into the game to take over in right field.
In this bludgeoning, Mickey Callaway had no interest in replacing anyone else. Rookie Jeff McNeil did pinch hit. Jerry Blevins threw an inning of relief and Jacob Rhame got a pair.
