Following a grueling 70-minute rain delay that left Citi Field slick and misty, interim manager Don Mattingly’s pitching strategy initially looked like another tactical stroke of genius. Left-handed opener Tim Mayza provided a flawless, rock-solid start, setting a quiet tone over the first 1.3 scoreless frames.

But the wheels came off in the bottom of the sixth.

Bulk reliever Alan Rangel, tasked with carrying the middle portion of the game, hit a sudden and devastating wall. The New York Mets weaponized a major late-inning breakthrough, highlighted by a game-tying two-run triple from Francisco Lindor and a go-ahead two-run single from rookie A.J. Ewing. A subsequent seventh-inning insurance blow from Juan Soto ultimately put the game out of reach, tagging Rangel with four earned runs over four innings of work in a 6-2 Phillies defeat.

The loss emphatically snapped Philadelphia’s four-game winning streak. For the host Mets, it was a moment of sheer catharsis, breaking a brutal seven-game losing skid and handing new interim manager Andy Green his very first victory since taking over the clubhouse on Friday morning.

Mayza and Rangel Control the Early Tempos

Managing a 162-game season requires a delicate balance of rest and aggression. With Andrew Painter recently optioned to the minors and the back end of the rotation in a state of flux, Mattingly opted to lean on his depth chart for Saturday’s middle game.

Mayza executed his opening assignment flawlessly. The veteran southpaw worked through the heart of the Mets’ order, yielding just a single hit while throwing strikes and keeping New York’s hitters off-balance. When Rangel entered the game with one out in the second inning, the transition felt entirely seamless.

Rangel, the 28-year-old right-hander who recently joined the big-league staff after an excellent run at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, was clinical over his first few frames. Utilizing a deceptive over-the-top arm slot and a heavy mix of fastballs and sweeping sliders, he mowed down the Mets’ order. Through the first five innings, New York failed to advance a single runner past first base.

Backed by a towering, third-inning two-run home run from Bryce Harper—his 19th of the year and an active-player record 43rd career blast against the Mets—the Phillies seemed entirely in control of a 2-0 ballgame.

The Sixth-Inning Avalanche

The narrative flipped on its head in the bottom of the sixth, proving just how quickly a major league game can slip away when a bulk reliever loses the strike zone.

With one out, the Mets’ top of the order suddenly found life. Juan Soto and Bo Bichette hit consecutive, sharp singles off Rangel to put runners on the corners. That brought Lindor to the plate. Playing in just his third game back since a grueling two-month stint on the injured list with a left calf strain, Lindor looked like a player desperate to make amends.

Rangel fell behind in the count and left a low-90s fastball over the heart of the plate. Lindor didn’t miss it, lacing a majestic, towering drive into the right-field corner. Soto and Bichette roared around the bases to tie the game at 2-2, while Lindor slid into third base with his first runs batted in since April 22, sending the Citi Field crowd into absolute pandemonium.

“I just left the ball up,” Rangel admitted postgame through a team translator. “Against a hitter like Lindor, you can’t afford to miss your spots in that situation. It changed the entire momentum of the game.”

The bleeding didn’t stop there. Rangel walked Jared Young, prompting Mattingly to quickly pull the plug and summon Jonathan Bowlan from the pen. Bowlan immediately walked Mark Vientos to load the bases, bringing up A.J. Ewing. Facing a high-pressure, bases-loaded situation, the young Mets infielder cracked a sharp, two-run single directly up the middle on the very first pitch he saw, driving home Lindor and Young to stretch the New York lead to 4-2.

Soto Puts It Entirely Out of Reach

The Mets continued to pour it on in the seventh inning against left-handed reliever Kyle Backhus. After Carson Benge reached on a leadoff single, superstar Juan Soto showcase his elite power, driving a deep RBI triple into the center-field gap to make it 5-2. Bichette followed immediately with a sacrifice fly to deep left field, capping the scoring at 6-2.

Rangel was ultimately charged with the loss (0-1), finishing his afternoon allowing four hits, four earned runs, and two walks while striking out four across his four innings of bulk relief.

Despite the late-inning pitching stumble, the Phillies (45-37) remain in an envious position, firmly holding onto the top spot in the National League Wild Card race. The cross-divisional rivals will meet one final time this weekend for a high-stakes Sunday rubber match to decide the series, where left-hander Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 4.39 ERA) will try to guide Philadelphia back into the win column.