What seemed like what was going to be a clean two-game sweep for the Phillies against the Amazins’ across the pond turned out to be an epic closer to a longtime division rivalry taken abroad.
In what Londoners would call “squeaky hum time”, the New York Mets produced a unimaginable 6-5 comeback win over rivals the Philadelphia Phillies to even out Major League Baseball’s two-game London Series. A three run rally in the top of the ninth inning put the Mets up by two, but the Phils didn’t go out without a fight in the bottom of the ninth.
With only two outs left to get the W, right fielder Nick Castellanos breaks his bat, but hits a dribbler right in front of the plate, making quicik thinking Mets catcher Luis Torres step on the plate and fire a missile down to Pete Alonso at first, ending the game and creating the first ever 2-3 double play in MLB history.
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Only seven times in AL/NL history had a game ended on a ground-ball double play to the catcher, and none was scored precisely 2-3 (catcher to first base). Since 1912, which is as far back as MLB’s data on the subject goes, the only other game-ending 2-3 double play occurred on a pop fly.
What an exciting end to a historic rivalry in The Big Smoke, giving the Mets just their second win against Philadelphia in their six games against each other in 2024. The Kings from Queens have over three months to revel in their victory until the next time they meet the Phillies, which will be on the Phils’ turf in Citizens Bank Park.