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Mets takeaways from Thursday’s 4-2 win over Phillies, including vintage Max Scherzer

June 1, 2023;  New York City, New York, USA;  New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer (21) follows through on a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citi Field.

The Mets defeated the Phillies 4-2 on Thursday afternoon, sweeping Philadelphia in the three-game set at Citi Field.

Here are some key takeaways…

– The Phillies used some small ball and capitalized on a Mets error to jump on Max Scherzer for two runs in the first inning. With two on and one out, the Phillies executed a double steal, and Francisco Alvarez‘s throw to third sailed into left, allowing Trea Turner to score. A Nick Castellanos sac fly to the warning track in left-center made it a 2-0 ball game.

But Scherzer ultimately settled in nicely, delivering one of his best outings of the season. After that two-run first, Scherzer shut out the Phillies for the next six frames, finishing his day with 7.0 innings of five-hit ball, allowing two runs (one earned) to go along with nine strikeouts and just one walk.

Scherzer has now gone 7.0 innings in back-to-back starts and has a 1.08 ERA over his last four starts (three earned runs in 25.0 innings).

– Former Met Taijuan Walker held the Mets scoreless through the first two innings and needed just two pitches to record the first two outs of the third. But the righty lost his command a bit, and back-to-back walks came back to bite him as well Jeff McNeil dunked an RBI single to center, cutting the Phillies’ lead to 2-1.

Mark Canha probably doesn’t want to see the Phillies leave town. After homering and driving in all four runs in Wednesday’s win, Canha was at it again on Thursday afternoon, slamming a two-run homer to left off Walker in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the Mets ahead 3-2.

Canha now has four home runs in his last four games against the Phillies.

– Walker’s start to his Phillies tenure hasn’t gone smoothly, and he was uneven again on Wednesday, lasting just 4.0 innings while allowing three earned runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts. He threw 74 pitches, and only 38 went for strikes.

– After Brett Baty doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the sixth, Buck Showalter pinch-hit Mark Vientos for Daniel Vogelbach with lefty Matt Strahm on the mound, and the decision paid off. Vientos worked his way into a favorable count before lining a sac fly to center field, putting the Mets up 4-2.

– Following Scherzer’s masterful performance, Jeff Brigham pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, and Brooks Raley got the ninth inning, recording the first two outs before giving way to Drew Smith.

Smith needed just one pitch to earn the save and complete the sweep.

What’s next

The Mets stay home for a three-game weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Citi Field, starting on Friday night at 7:10 pm on SNY.

Former Met Chris Bassitt will go against Justin Verlander.