Mets’ walk-off home run breaks 114-year Phillies record
By Matt Rappa
A Phillies record held since 1906 was snapped by the Mets on Friday
The New York Mets made history while sweeping the New York Yankees in seven-inning doubleheader games on Friday — Jackie Robinson Day. Not only did the Mets hand their crosstown rivals their sixth and seventh consecutive loss, but they also broke a century-plus-long record set by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1906.
The Mets and Yankees played the latter half of the twin bill with the Phillies’ National League East rival batting last as the home team, despite the game being played at Yankee Stadium. Down 3-2, with a runner on second and nobody out in the bottom of the seventh, the Mets’ Amed Rosario launched a 392-foot walk-off home run on a 2-0 count.
The blast secured the Mets as the first team with a walk-off win in an opponent’s ballpark since the Phillies did so at Robison Field in St. Louis in 1906, according to Elias Sports Bureau and MLB.com. Also, Rosario became the first visiting player to hit a walk-off home run, specifically, since the St. Louis Perfectos’ Ed McKean against the Cleveland Spiders in 1899.
RELATED | Phillies: Cesar Hernandez sets Indians franchise record
In terms of Mets history, Rosario also became the first Met ever with a walk-off home run opposite the Yankees.
The Phillies also won on Friday, thanks to their own walk-off — a three-run home run in the 11th inning off the bat of Scott Kingery. As the luck of the unprecedented 2020 season would have it, the Mets winning both games against the Yankees put the Phillies out of a playoff spot, despite them topping the Atlanta Braves in the series opener at Citizens Bank Park.
Less than one month of the season remains; currently, the Braves lead the National League East by two games with an 18-13 record. Next are the Miami Marlins (14-13, 2 games back), Mets (15-16, 3 games back), Phillies (13-14, 3 games back), and Washington Nationals (12-17, 5 games back).
Whichever teams finish in the top two in the division are guaranteed playoff spots; the remaining three would have to qualify for any of the two remaining Wild Card spots.