The New York Mets delivered a timely blow to the Philadelphia Phillies’ postseason positioning Friday night, riding Juan Soto’s three-run homer to a 6-3 victory at Citi Field. The win ended New York’s five-game losing streak while preventing Philadelphia from gaining valuable ground in an increasingly tense National League wild-card race.
For the Phillies, the defeat was particularly costly because Chicago also lost Friday night. Instead of moving into sole possession of the top two wild-card positions, Philadelphia remained tied with the Cubs at 85-69. Both teams entered the day one game ahead of the San Diego Padres, meaning the race remained tightly packed with only a limited number of games left in the regular season. Every result now carries added weight as Philadelphia tries to secure a favorable postseason position.
The Mets struck first and quickly put Philadelphia under pressure. New York scored three times in the opening inning, with Carson Benge driving in a run before A.J. Ewing delivered a two-run single to give the Mets an early advantage. The Phillies responded, but they never completely erased the deficit. Edmundo Sosa provided much of Philadelphia’s offensive spark, going 3-for-3 with a double and a home run, while Derek Hill also went deep and Bryson Stott contributed an RBI double.
Soto ultimately supplied the decisive blow. The Mets star launched a three-run homer in the sixth inning, turning a close game into a 6-3 New York advantage and giving Philadelphia little room to recover. Soto finished with three hits, adding a double to his home run, and his performance provided the middle-of-the-order impact the Mets needed to finally stop their slide. His production was especially important for a Mets club that had entered the night searching for a response after five consecutive defeats.
New York also received an encouraging performance from rookie left-hander Zac Thornton. Thornton worked six innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four and walking one. The outing continued a promising pattern for the young pitcher, who has now allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 14 major-league starts. After Thornton departed, the Mets bullpen protected the lead, with Dedniel Núñez recording four outs for his second career save and his first save since July 13, 2024.
Philadelphia’s pitching situation was much more complicated. José Urquidy made his Phillies debut after being claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, and he provided an important stabilizing presence by throwing 4⅔ innings of scoreless bulk relief. Urquidy had been designated for assignment by Chicago on Tuesday and claimed by Philadelphia on Thursday, giving the Phillies another pitching option at a critical point in the season.
The night began disastrously for Philadelphia opener Tim Mayza, however. Mayza was charged with three runs after throwing 33 pitches while recording only one out. It was the shortest outing by a Phillies starter since Cristopher Sánchez recorded just one out against the Washington Nationals on July 29, 2021. The early deficit forced Philadelphia to turn to its bullpen almost immediately and created a difficult pitching equation for the rest of the game.
While the Mets celebrated a much-needed victory, Philadelphia was left to consider another missed opportunity in the wild-card standings. The Phillies had a chance to capitalize on Chicago’s loss and create separation, but instead remained locked with the Cubs at 85-69. The Padres also remained within striking distance, keeping the pressure firmly on the Phillies with the regular season approaching its final stretch.
There were still individual positives for Philadelphia. Sosa continued to provide offensive production, while Hill’s home run and Stott’s extra-base hit added to an offense that produced three runs despite falling behind early. For New York, Benge reached base three times, while Ewing’s first-inning contribution helped establish the tone before Soto delivered the biggest swing of the night.
Francisco Lindor also remained stuck at 299 career home runs after going 2-for-5 with a double. That milestone will remain one of the intriguing individual storylines surrounding the Mets as the season winds down.
Ultimately, Friday’s game was about more than one victory or one loss. The Mets needed to halt their five-game skid, and Soto gave them the signature moment to do it. The Phillies, meanwhile, lost an opportunity to improve their position in a crowded NL wild-card race. With Philadelphia and Chicago tied at 85-69 and San Diego still close behind, the margin for mistakes continues to shrink.
The Mets may already be outside the central postseason battle, but their 6-3 victory demonstrated how much influence they can still have on the playoff picture. For the Phillies, the message was straightforward: with the standings this tight, even a loss to a struggling division rival can have significant consequences.
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