PHILADELPHIA — Bo Bichette’s streak of multihit games ended Thursday night, but the guy batting behind him, as well as the rest of the Mets lineup, kept marching.
Juan Soto blasted two homers in the first three innings before the Mets broke out in the seventh for a 6-4 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
“I have had some ups and downs so far, but it feels great,” Soto said of a season in which he’s posted a .980 OPS with 17 home runs. “I definitely would love to be in a different spot as a team, but I want to help as much as I can to bring them back up.”
It was a second straight win for the Mets spurred by the lineup (they scored nine runs in beating the Reds on Wednesday), and Francisco Lindor’s return looms; the shortstop is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday and could rejoin the Mets within days.
“His defense and his bat, he’s elite,” Soto said. “He’s one of the best defensive players in the game and I think he’s going to help a lot.”
Bichette, who had recorded six straight multiple-hit games, finished 0-for-5 on a night the Mets totaled 11 hits.
Sean Manaea gave the Mets a chance by limiting the Phillies to three runs, two earned, on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts over 5 ¹/₃ innings. The lefty’s ERA, which peaked at 6.85 on May 6, fell to 4.64.
Soto’s two-out homer in the first against Aaron Nola accounted for the Mets’ initial run. Soto crushed a 1-2 cutter into the seats in right field before Nola’s fielding error on Jared Young’s grounder gave the Mets another base runner. A.J. Ewing followed with an RBI double that widened the lead to 2-0.
But Manaea gave back one run in the bottom of the inning on Alec Bohm’s RBI single. Manaea drilled Trea Turner and allowed a single to Kyle Schwarber to begin the inning. Bryce Harper, on base on a fielder’s choice, was thrown out attempting to steal third base to conclude the inning.
Soto’s second blast of the night gave the Mets a 3-1 lead in the third. It was the 30th multihomer game of Soto’s career and second this season.
“This is a guy that is more than capable of carrying a team, but he’s not trying to do too much,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s going to continue to take his walks, he’s going to hit the ball hard, he’s a really good player.”
Sloppy defense by Francisco Alvarez cost the Mets a run in the third. Alvarez was charged with a passed ball and error on strike 3 to Schwarber when he threw errantly to first base on a pitch he mishandled as Schwarber swung and missed.
Bohm’s RBI double sliced the Mets lead to 3-2.
Bryson Stott singled and stole second in the fourth before Derek Hill stroked an RBI single that tied it 3-3. Hill took second on Ewing’s throwing error on the play, but Manaea retired Justin Crawford for the third out.
Manaea walked Harper in the fifth before getting Bohm to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Pinch hitter Eric Wagaman delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh. Carson Benge singled leading off against Phillies reliever José Alvarado, stole second and reached third on a wild pitch.
After pinch hitter Mark Vientos drew a two-out walk, Wagaman’s single gave the Mets a 4-3 lead.
Marcus Semien’s ensuing triple — his first of the season — brought in two runs to put the Phillies in a 6-3 hole. Semien appeared struck out to end the inning, but as the Phillies attempted to leave the field, plate umpire Brian Walsh ruled his foul tip hit the dirt. Semien capitalized on his extended at-bat.
Huascar Brazobán, A.J. Minter and Luke Weaver combined for 2 ²/₃ innings of scoreless relief.
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Weaver struck out the side in the eighth. Devin Williams allowed one run in the ninth on a Justin Crawford RBI single before retiring Schwarber on a line drive to right for the final out with the tying runs on base.