When the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Jhoan Duran in one of the biggest deals of the trade deadline, it was presumably to help hold off the Mets in the race for the NL East title. Since that point, everything has gone to plan, as the Phillies have widened their division lead despite some struggles for Duran, and New York seemingly can't get out of their own way.
While the division race is all but decided now with just a few weeks left to go, it is still nice to do some psychic damage to the Mets and their fans along the way.
That is precisely what happened on Monday night. At the end of what was an extremely tight matchup between the two squads, Philadelphia found themselves in a bit of a situation with runners at second and third with one out and a very slim one-run lead.
Instead of blowing it, Duran not only slammed the door to secure the win, but he did so thanks to one of the worst at-bats you will see from a MLB hitter. After Jeff McNeil swung through some cheese for the second out, Francisco Alvarez barely put up a fight to end it, and now Mets fans are completely melting down.
Francisco Alvarez flailed at three straight curveballs off the plate with the game on the line pic.twitter.com/5LHPPKoC6f
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 9, 2025
Mets fans' tears are particularly delicious after Phillies' Jhoan Duran embarrassed Francisco Alvarez
Obviously victimizing a division rival is great, especially in a big spot in the middle of the stretch run and with the Mets fighting in the NL Wild Card race. However, what made this particular moment so amazing was the reaction from Mets fans who, until recently, were giving off some big "this is our year" energy.
Case in point, let's check in with KFC Barstool for his take.
That was one of the worst at bats I’ve ever seen. Over matched doesn’t even begin to describe it
— KFC (@KFCBarstool) September 9, 2025
Very concise, but gets the point across. Not exactly to the level of a Frank the Tank meltdown, but it gets the job done and has the added bonus of being both self-aware and extremely true.
KFC's colleague MeekPhill was a bit less measured in his reaction, but the sentiment was roughly the same.
Genuinely might’ve been the worst at bat of the season by any player on the team.
— Phill (@MeekPhill_) September 9, 2025
They will never have another 9th inning comeback https://t.co/SwWJoDNZKr
However, the real gems are from the rank and file Mets fans who lost their minds. Some tried their best to put on a brave face while bemoaning Alvarez's at-bat, others turned to humor to hide their pain, and others, including Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, chose complete denial and delusion.
There are some real questions about Duran and whether or not something is wrong with him ahead of the playoffs. For one brief moment though, Duran was a part of a moment against a hated division rival in the middle of the playoff chase that was absolutely perfect.