If you’re a baseball fan, especially a Phillies fan, you’re probably well aware that the New York Mets fired three-year manager Carlos Mendoza right before the Phils faced them to begin their three-game series at Citi Field. I’m not sure Mr. Met knew of this fact, though, based on the viral video of him dancing while a reporter broke the news in front of a camera.
Read the damn room, Mr. Met pic.twitter.com/Fejr0dot24
— The Mets Newsletter (@metsnewsletter) June 26, 2026
So, out was Mendoza and in was interim manager Andy Green, who moved from the role of senior vice president of player development to the top stoop of the New York dugout. Green, who played for the Diamondbacks and the Mets in his short MLB playing career, had previously served as the Padres manager from 2016-2019.
Unfortunately for Green, he didn't inherit a very good ball club. When Mendoza was let go, the Mets were coming off a six-game losing streak that dropped their record to 34-47, with the Cubs sweeping them in a four-game series in Flushing. For a Mets team that has been sputtering since its 2024 playoff joy ride, it seemed the only option was to end the short Mendoza era that had shown so much promise just two seasons ago. Needless to say, the Phillies were champing at the bit to take on their vulnerable NL East rival and were hoping that maybe, just maybe, the turmoil in Flushing might be conducive to ending a Phillies curse most don't like to speak of.
Citi Field has been a house of horrors for the Phillies, who had compiled a 6-22 record there since 2022. Without familiar tormentors like Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo, would things be different? Could they be different? Or would the records be thrown out the window while the terrible and giving-up-on-the-season Mets continued to play like studs at an inopportune time, like the way the Yankees encountered the Red Sox this weekend.
Thankfully, the Phils seem to have turned a new leaf. Thank YOU, Andy Green!
How Phillies took series from Mets, ended Citi Field curse
In Game 1, Zack Wheeler shut down the Mets, firing seven innings of one-run ball to lower his ERA to 2.03 on the year in a 2-1 victory that broke a 10-game drought for the Phils versus the Mets on the road. Every dog has its day, however, as the Mets punched back with a 6-2 win on Saturday. The Phillies, after leading 2-0 across five innings, collapsed in the sixth and seventh innings.
On Sunday, the Phils overcame more bullpen troubles, with Chase Shugart allowing three runs in just a third of an inning of work and squandering a solid Jesús Luzardo start and a 3-1 advantage in the sixth inning. Luckily for Philadelphia, Kyle Schwarber — as he has done many times before — saved the day with a go-ahead two run skyscraper to center to put the Phillies on top 5-4 in the seventh. It was a lead they held until the final out, as they secured their first series win at Citi Field in nearly five years.
The weekend series once again proved that the Phillies and Mets are on two different trajectories. While the struggling Mets sit in last place in the division with a 35-49 record amid what appears to be another wasted season despite the presence of $765 million man Juan Soto, the Phillies continue to ride the wave of a two-month surge that has pushed them to 10 games over .500 and within three games of the Braves for first place in the NL East. A recent MLB power ranking even slots the Fightins at No. 5 in the league and the Mets at the lowly 28th spot.
Organizationally, the Phillies appear to also have a much better pulse on the state of the franchise. Since Don Mattingly took over for Rob Thomson in late April, the Phils have totaled the most wins in baseball with a 38-18 record. Amongst calls for Mendoza to be ousted all year, the Mets front office decided to stand pat (until now), which has been a decision that has perhaps cost them halfway into the year.
But, hey, you know what they say. Too little, too late.
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