Mets escape Philly after Diaz 9th Inning Implosion

METS 8 - PHILLIES 7 

Only the Mets and Edwin Diaz could turn an exciting 8-4 lead into a nail-bitter as the Mets nearly blew a four-run lead to the Philadelphia Phillies Sunday night. 

Diaz, who had come into the 9th inning in a non-save situation, and hadn't given up an earned run in his last seven-and-a-third innings pitched, imploded big time. He walked Didi Gregorious to open the inning, before giving up an RBI triple to Roman Quinn to make it an 8-5 ball game.  

After Matt Joyce with two out, Diaz served up what appeared to be a three-run homer by Rhys Hoskins that tied the game at eight. 

However replay showed that the ball off Hoskins' bat might have instead hit the railing and bounced back into the the field of play making it a ground rule double, not a homer. The umpires changed the ruling, as close as it was to being a home run. 

The Mets caught a huge break. Instead of being tied at eight and facing Bryce Harper in a game-winning RBI situation, the Mets were still clinging to an 8-7 lead. 

Diaz left the game promptly after the Hoskins double with what was later diagnosed as back tightness.  

Jeurys Familia would come in and lock down the game by striking out Harper swinging and sending the Mets back to into a first place tie with the Washington Nationals at 11-11.

Had the Mets lost this game, it would have spoiled what was a huge night for the Mets offense. New York pounded out 17 hits, a season high, and scored eight runs, also a season high. 

Jeff McNeil had  a huge night with four hits and two runs scored. Michael Conforto also had a pair of hits, including driving in the go-ahead run on a bases loaded walk in the eighth that made it a 5-4 game. 

Pete Alonso's bases clearing triple gave New York the 8-4 advantage. 

However, the bigger nights offensively belonged to Jonathan Villar and Kevin Pillar. Pillar had three hits, including a solo home run in the eighth that got the Mets going, cutting the Phillies lead to 4-3. 

Meanwhile, Villar's heads up base running by coming around to score on a mental error by the Phillies tied the game at four in the eighth.

The Mets are 9-5 against the NL East this year, and 2-6 against everyone else. They visit the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.