NEW YORK _ As Friday's game reached its late stages, the Phillies were four games out of a wild-card berth and the Mets were five back. Both teams understand the importance of this weekend.
The Mets captured an emotional 5-4 win when Pete Alonso drew a walk-off walk against Nick Vincent. He strolled to first and met his teammates, who mobbed him.
It became the latest special moment at Citi Field in a second half full of them.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Juan Lagares singled off Mike Morin. J.D. Davis then came off the bench and his base hit put runners on the corners before Vincent hit Jeff McNeil with a pitch.
Edwin Diaz, in his first outing since allowing the three-run walk-off homer in Washington on Tuesday, almost equaled that. In the ninth inning with one out, right after his team grabbed a two-run lead, Diaz allowed a game-tying 415-foot homer to J.T. Realmuto.
Before that ball sailed out, the Mets looked to have snatched another crucial victory. And it began with one of the most unusual, weird sacrifice bunts you'll ever see.
In the eighth inning, Luis Guillorme stepped up as a pinch-hitter with Sam Haggerty _ pinch-running for Todd Frazier, who walked _ on first and no outs. First baseman Rhys Hoskins played up close, anticipating a bunt.
Only Guillorme popped it up, and it landed in between Hoskins and second baseman Cesar Hernandez. Haggerty, who hesitated to avoid being doubled off, still made it to second after the ball hit the ground as he showcased his speed.
Two batters later, Alonso singled into shallow left. It might not have scored a run from second, but this was Haggerty, who the Mets called up for September for these exact situations. He's one of the fastest players in the organization, and his role may solely be as a pinch-runner.
He blazed around third and scored easily as the throw home was not hard enough. The Mets took a one-run lead, and then added another when Wilson Ramos singled. They led, 4-2, poised to win a big series opener.
Until Diaz entered. He's now given up 14 home runs. For context: He surrendered 17 runs total last year.
Both teams have had late-game struggles at different points throughout the year. It was only fitting that each starter allowed two runs, leaving it to the bullpens.
In the sixth, Steven Matz exited and Luis Avilan inherited runners on the corners with two gone. Avilan walked a man, loading the bases and forcing the Mets to summon righty Brad Brach to face right-handed-hitting Jean Segura.
In a big spot, Brach almost hit Segura. Moments later, though, Segura flew out and the game remained tied. Through six innings, the Phillies had left eight men on base.
Brach went 1 1/3 innings, getting the Mets to the eighth. Then Justin Wilson threw a scoreless frame, putting the pressure back on Philly.
Blake Parker began the eighth for the Phillies, but soon exited in favor of Hector Neris with Alonso due up.
Neris couldn't hold the Mets, but Realmuto's homer started a new ballgame.
Early, the night seemed promising for the Mets.
While Matz held the Phillies scoreless for the first four innings, the Mets built a two-run lead. Frazier, who collected his 1,000th career hit when he singled in the third, scored on a Jeff McNeil single. An inning later, Michael Conforto blasted a solo shot and now has a career-high 29 homers.
They couldn't scratch for more against Zac Eflin, who went five innings. Less than a week ago, he held the Mets to a run over seven in a Phillies win.
Matz, who has struggled against the Phillies on the road, notched a consecutive solid start against them. He surrendered two runs over 5 2/3 innings after giving up two runs over five frames at Citizens Bank Park last week.
In the fifth, Realmuto smacked an RBI double. Maikel Franco hit a run-scoring single to tie the game an inning later.
Something that could have factored into Friday _ and might loom large this weekend _ is Bryce Harper's hand contusion. He was hit by a pitch in the top of the third and Sean Rodriguez replaced him for the bottom half. That left the Phillies without their most talented player, and a big power bat.
