Mets Defeat Phillies to Advance to National League Championship Series

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor delivered a critical moment in the sixth inning, hitting a grand slam that propelled the New York Mets to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, thereby securing their spot in the National League Championship Series. Edwin Díaz concluded the triumph by striking out Kyle Schwarber with two runners poised, concluding Game 4 and clinching the best-of-five Division Series with a 3-1 win. For the first time in 24 years, the Mets secured a postseason series victory at home.

This victory set off jubilant celebrations among the players, marking the Mets’ first champagne-soaked clinching at Citi Field since it opened 16 seasons ago. With this triumph, the Mets are scheduled to face either the San Diego Padres or the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming best-of-seven NLCS, set to begin after three days of rest. At the time, San Diego was leading its series 2-1 against Los Angeles, heading into their own Game 4.

For the Phillies, led by key player Bryce Harper, the defeat was a disappointing setback, ending hopes of advancing further as they had after reaching the 2022 World Series. Despite winning 95 games in the regular season, they were unable to continue past the divisional round. Harper and his team continue to seek the franchise’s elusive third championship.

Elsewhere, the New York Yankees eked out a dramatic win over the Kansas City Royals with Giancarlo Stanton’s pivotal homer in the eighth inning, emerging victorious in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. Stanton ended the day with three hits and a rare stolen base, buoying his team despite another lackluster performance from MVP candidate Aaron Judge. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers secured a 3-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians, bolstered by solid pitching after a series of quiet games from the Guardians’ offense.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, facing elimination, managed an emphatic 8-0 victory against the San Diego Padres to force a Game 5. Contributions from Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani powered the Dodgers, demonstrating resilience after earlier setbacks in the series.