PHILADELPHIA _ Steven Matz, the Mets starting pitcher, stepped off the mound Tuesday night and began walking to the visiting dugout when he heard an unlikely noise.
The Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park, often quick to greet opposing players with disdain, were cheering for a Met. It wasn't just polite cheers for Matz, but a standing ovation. The pitcher's night was finished and his work, at least in South Philadelphia, was met with much appreciation.
That is what happens when a visiting pitcher gets torched for eight first-inning runs without recording a single out. It was easy Tuesday night as the Phillies rolled to a 14-3 win to cheer for the player wearing blue and orange.
The Phillies scored 10 runs in the first inning as they sent 14 batters to the plate, faced two different pitchers and watched the Mets commit three errors. The rally came a night after a difficult loss and the Phillies wasted little time working out their frustrations.
Scott Kingery and Maikel Franco each hit three-run homers and J.T. Realmuto had a pair of two-run doubles. Their first eight batters all reached base and scored before the first out of the inning. The rally, which seemed like it would never end, took 30 minutes to complete.
Matz faced the Phillies four times last season and allowed nine runs last season in 17 innings. He nearly equaled that total Monday when he faced eight batters and allowed eight runs. He became just the fifth starting pitcher in baseball history to allow eight or more runs without recording an out. It was the first time since 2005 that a pitcher was removed allowing eight runs without an out.
The 10-run inning was enough protection for Nick Pivetta, who allowed three runs in five innings but did little to ease concerns about his season. He needed 100 pitches and each inning was laborious. Jerad Eickhoff, who arrived in the afternoon from Triple A, pitched four innings in relief. Eickhoff, flashing a strong curveball, was excellent as he struck out five, allowed three hits, and earned a rare four-inning save. The Phillies scored a ton of runs, but they still have questions in the rotation.
It was the Phillies' biggest first inning since they scored 12 runs in 2017 against the Nationals. Washington's starter that night _ Jeremy Guthrie _ was forced into retirement after that game. Drew Gagnon finished the inning for Matz, but first the Phillies would tag him for two more runs.
The Phillies thumped the Mets without Rhys Hoskins, who was out of Tuesday night's lineup with a sprained ankle. Jean Segura doubled in the first but then suffered a hamstring injury when he grounded out for the second out of the inning. Kingery and Realmuto each finished with five RBIs. Bryce Harper scored three times. Andrew McCutchen scored twice.
Gabe Kapler said before Monday's game that he was looking for ways to find Kingery some additional playing time. He had a good weekend in Miami and was forcing his way into the lineup. Kingery, Kapler said, looked more aggressive at the plate than he had during a rough rookie season.
"This is the simplest way to put it," Kapler said. "He's finding the sweet spot on the bat."
That aggressiveness was apparent on Tuesday when he jumped on the first pitch he saw in the first inning and slammed a three-run homer to left field. He drove in two more runs in the fifth, blistering the second pitch he saw down the third-base line for a double. Kingery was finding the sweet spot and he seems to be forcing the manager's hand.
Kingery touched home plate after his homer and returned to the Phillies dugout as teammates threw sunflower seeds into the air. The fans were on their feet and Matz watched from the mound. It would not be long before he, too, would hear those cheers.
