LONDON — The Mets at least received something more than a sightseeing tour or two for their four days across the pond.
A team with several deficiencies has shown a propensity for ninth-inning magic. It reappeared Sunday, allowing the Mets to escape with a split against the Phillies in the London Series.
A good old-fashioned three-run rally, with much of the lineup involved in the final frame, carried the Mets to a 6-5 victory at London Stadium.
Mark Vientos’ infield single against Jose Alvarado tied it before Pete Alonso’s plunking with the bases loaded produced the go-ahead run and an ensuing passed ball provided the insurance.
But the Phillies weren’t finished, pulling within one on Alec Bohm’s bases-loaded walk before the Mets pulled a Houdini: Nick Castellanos hit a squib in front of the plate that Luis Torrens grabbed. Torrens stepped on home for the first and threw off balance to first base, completing the game-ending double play.
David Dahl’s pinch-hit homer against Dedniel Nunez in the seventh gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead after the Mets had rallied to tie the game the previous inning. But Jake Diekman and Reed Garrett combined for the next two innings scoreless, allowing the opportunity for a rally in the ninth.
Jose Quintana continued his lackluster season with a blah performance that lasted only 3 2/3 innings. Over that stretch he allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks with one strikeout. The veteran left-hander saw his ERA rise from 5.17 to 5.29 — hardly inspiring for a team that has impressive rookie Christian Scott only a phone call away at Triple-A Syracuse.
Quintana nearly got stomped in the first inning, loading the bases on a single and two walks, but got Alec Bohm to hit a double play grounder, with the run scoring. Quintana kept the damage at 1-0 by retiring Nick Castellanos.
The Mets also turned a double play behind Quintana after he plunked Edmundo Sosa to begin the second. But Quintana’s luck expired in the fourth, when he surrendered two additional runs on four hits and was removed from the game.
Sosa smashed an RBI double following Castellanos’ single to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Whit Merrifield’s ensuing RBI single stretched the Mets’ deficit to three runs. Danny Young replaced Quintana and walked Kyle Schwarber to load the bases before striking out J.T. Realmuto to escape.
The Mets awoke against Taijuan Walker and reliever Gregory Soto in the sixth. After Torrens singled and Alonso drew a two-out walk, Brandon Nimmo sliced a double against Soto for the Mets’ first run. J.D. Martinez followed with a two-run single that tied it 3-3.