SvnMorningNews

By Ethan Carter — 17 July 2026 — 3 min read

The New York Mets secured a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the first major league game following the All-Star break. The game, played on Thursday night, featured two home runs from Francisco Alvarez and another from Brett Baty. The start time for the game was moved up due to diminishing air quality caused by smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota, resulting in a hazy sky over the stadium.

Christian Scott, pitching for the Mets, delivered 5 2/3 shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven. The Mets‘ offense launched three solo home runs off Phillies starter Aaron Nola. Alvarez hit his first home run, a 1-2 slider, over the center-field fence in the third inning. He then added his 11th home run of the season in the seventh inning, immediately followed by Baty‘s home run.

Nola (3-7) initially gave up only one run and three hits through six innings. However, Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly kept him in for the seventh inning, despite Nola having thrown 90 pitches and a reliever being ready. This decision led to Baty and Alvarez hitting back-to-back home runs off Nola.

Juan Soto, a slugger for the New York Mets, was removed from the game in the eighth inning due to left calf soreness. This follows a previous absence of approximately 2 1/2 weeks in April due to a right calf strain. A.J. Ewing contributed an insurance run for the Mets in the ninth inning with an RBI double. Devin Williams closed out the game, securing his 100th career save and 14th of the season with three quick outs.

Key Moments and Player Performances

Christian Scott‘s performance was notable, as he nearly conceded a tying home run to Kyle Schwarber, whose long fly ball hit the railing atop the right-field wall and bounced back into play for a double. This play was reviewed and ruled a double based on ballpark rules. Scott had been consistent, with a 2-1 record, a 3.17 ERA, and a 1.30 WHIP for the year, and a slightly better 2.79 ERA on the road. He had faced the Phillies earlier in the season, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing three hits and two earned runs.

Nola‘s pre-All-Star break record stood at 3-6 with a 5.75 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Despite his struggles, he has been emphasizing his changeup more, throwing 21 of them during his 97-pitch effort. The Mets are hitting .257 against him. In the fifth inning, Nola faced a challenging situation with the bases loaded after a walk to Jared Young, a single by Brett Baty, and a walk to Alvarez. However, he managed to escape the threat with a routine lineout double play from A.J. Ewing and a weak flyball from Bo Bichette after an intentional walk to Juan Soto.

Francisco Alvarez #4 of the New York Mets reacts after hitting a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 16, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Mets defeated the Phillies 4-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images” width=”960″ height=”640″ />

For the Phillies, Trea Turner hit a home run in the eighth inning off Mets reliever Luke Weaver, marking the first home run by a right-handed hitter off Weaver this season. The Phillies had previously made a managerial change, with Don Mattingly taking over as interim manager. Mattingly‘s tenure has seen the team perform well after a difficult start.

Upcoming Series Continuation

Following a rare Friday off day, the Mets and Phillies are scheduled to resume their series on Saturday. Left-hander Sean Manaea (2-4, 4.56 ERA) is slated to start for New York. He will be facing left-hander Jesús Luzardo (8-4, 3.51), who is scheduled to start for Philadelphia.

The series continues after the Mets‘ 4-1 victory.

Source: sports.yahoo.com