Mets Power Past Phillies in Second-Half Opener
On July 16, 2026, at Citizens Bank Park, the New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 behind two home runs from catcher Francisco Alvarez and another from Brett Baty.
Alvarez got the Mets on the board first with a solo shot to center field in the third inning, a 416-foot blast that made it 1-0. The game stayed tight until the seventh, when Baty and Alvarez went back-to-back. Baty crushed a solo homer to center for a 2-0 lead, and Alvarez followed immediately with his second of the night to left field, pushing the score to 3-0.
The Mets added one more run later for the final 4-1 margin. Trea Turner answered for the Phillies with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to avoid the shutout.
Christian Scott delivered a strong start for New York, tossing 5.2 innings of scoreless ball with seven strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Aaron Nola took the loss after six innings, surrendering three earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Devin Williams closed it out for the save.
Alvarez finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk. The Mets collected seven hits total while the Phillies managed four. The contest marked the start of the second half of the regular season for both clubs in a National League East matchup.
New York improved to 41-57 with the victory while Philadelphia fell to 54-44.