Brandon Nimmo dropped down to one knee to lift up the Mets.
The left fielder’s seventh-inning RBI single proved to be the game-winner in Saturday’s 6-3 victory over the first-place Phillies at Citi Field.
With the score tied 2-2, Nimmo reached across the strike zone and poked a low-and-outside sweeper from reliever Orion Kerkering into left field. The swing took Nimmo’s left knee to the ground, but he still got enough on it to drive in Starling Marte from second base for the go-ahead run.
The one-one hit kicked off a three-run inning for the Mets, which Francisco Alvarez capped with a two-out, two-run double.
It was an eventful seventh inning for Nimmo, who robbed Phillies superstar Bryce Harper of an extra-base hit with a leaping catch against the wall in the top of the frame.
Edwin Diaz nail down a four-out save to clinch the victory for the Mets, who began play Saturday with a two-game lead over the Braves for the second National League Wild Card spot.
The Mets continue to find ways to win without star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who missed his sixth consecutive game Saturday with lower-back discomfort. The Mets are 5-1 in those games, with the lone loss being Friday night’s 12-2 blowout by the Phillies.
Helping to fill Lindor’s void has been rookie phenom Luisangel Acuña, who hit another home run in Saturday’s victory.
Acuña’s second-inning solo shot gave the 22-year-old shortstop three homers in eight career games. Acuña — the younger brother of injured Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. — went 2-for-3 with a walk Saturday and is now hitting .385 with a 1.292 OPS since making his MLB debut last weekend.
The hitting heroics of Nimmo, Alvarez and Ronald Acuña came in support of starter Sean Manaea, who continues to establish himself as the Mets’ ace.
The left-hander limited the Phillies to three runs over seven-plus innings. He has now pitched seven innings in seven of his last 11 starts and boasts a 2.63 ERA over that stretch.
The Mets have won Manaea’s last eight starts.
A sold-out crowd of 44,152 also watched Alvarez hit a solo home run in the second inning; Jose Iglesias extend his hitting streak to 15 games; and Pete Alonso added a bloop RBI single in the eighth.
The Mets will look to win their four-game series against the Phillies on Sunday night in their final home game of the regular season.
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