Francisco Alvarez homered twice, Brett Baty also went deep and the New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 on Thursday night in the first major league game following the All-Star break.<\/p>\n
The start time was pushed up an hour and the teams played under a hazy sky with diminishing air quality because of smoke that moved into the region from wildfires burning in Canada and Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Christian Scott (3-1) pitched 5 2\/3 shutout innings for the Mets, who launched three solo homers off starter Aaron Nola. <\/p>\n
New York slugger Juan Soto was removed in the eighth because of left calf soreness. Soto missed about 2 1\/2 weeks in April with a right calf strain.<\/p>\n
Alvarez drove a 1-2 slider over the center-field fence in the third. The catcher added his 11th homer of the season in the seventh, when he went back-to-back with Baty.<\/p>\n
A.J. Ewing added an insurance run for the Mets with an RBI double in the ninth. Devin Williams got three quick outs for his 100th career save and 14th this season.<\/p>\n
Scott allowed three hits and struck out seven. He nearly gave up a tying homer to the final batter he faced, but Kyle Schwarber’s long fly hit the railing atop the right-field wall and ricocheted back into play for a double.<\/p>\n
Nola (3-7) gave up just one run and three hits through six innings, but Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly sent the right-hander back out for the seventh even though he had thrown 90 pitches and a reliever was ready in the bullpen. That’s when Nola served up back-to-back homers to Baty and Alvarez.<\/p>\n
Trea Turner homered for Philadelphia in the eighth, the first home run by a right-handed hitter off Mets reliever Luke Weaver this season.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
After a rare Friday off, the Mets and Phillies resume their series on Saturday. LHP Sean Manaea (2-4, 4.56 ERA) is scheduled to start for New York against LHP Jes\u00fas Luzardo (8-4, 3.51).<\/p>\n