Asdrubal Cabrera’s Three-Run HR In 11th Inning Lifts Mets To 9-8 Win Over Phillies

The New York Mets were left frustrated Wednesday night following a 4-3 home loss, which came after the Atlanta Braves’ Ender Inciarte made a spectacular catch to rob Yoenis Cespedes of a walk-off home run in the ninth inning.

Asdrubal Cabrera’s Three-Run HR In 11th Inning Lifts Mets To 9-8 Win Over Phillies

On Thursday night, however, the Mets bounced back. Asdrubal Cabrera’s three-run homer off Edubray Ramos in the 11th inning gave them a thrilling, 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.

With the win, the Mets managed to hold onto one of the two Wild Card spots in the National League. After entering Thursday even with San Francisco and St. Louis, the Mets remained tied for the first spot with the Giants, who defeated the Padres that same day, and moved a half-game in front of the Cardinals, who had an off-day.

“We talked before the game and said, ‘It’s a 10-game season,'” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “‘Best team gets in.'”

Thursday’s game was the first of the 10, and for New York, it felt like the most crucial one. The Mets had just been swept at home by the last-place Braves in three games.

“We had to win this game, to set the tone after the series we had with the Braves,” said shortstop Jose Reyes, who blasted a two-run home run off Jeanmar Gomez to tie it with one out in the ninth.

Since Inciarte’s catch from the night before was still stuck in their minds, some of the Mets admitted to feeling nervous whenever they hit a deep ball like Reyes’ homer. That homer easily cleared the fence, though Collins said he became worried when he saw Phillies right fielder Aaron Altherr at the fence.

“I said, ‘Don’t tell me he’s going to catch it,'” Collins said.

Philadelphia gained a 6-4 lead in the eighth inning on Maikel Franco’s three-run home run off Addison Reed. The Phillies got ahead again with two runs off Mets closer Jeurys Familia in the top of the 11th. An A.J. Ellis single made it 7-6, and after Jim Henderson replaced Familia, he walked Franco to force in another run.

Ramos then walked pinch-hitter Michael Conforto with one out, and Reyes followed with a single. Cabrera then stepped up to smack the big homer of the night.

“As soon as I hit it, I knew it would be out,” Cabrera said.

Ramos was the ninth pitcher used by Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. Collins used 10 pitchers for New York.

“That was probably the toughest loss of the season, for me anyway,” Mackanin said. “The offense did a heck of a good job coming back twice, going ahead, and we just let them right back in.”

According to ESPN, the Mets won their first game ever in which they trailed by several runs in the ninth inning and in extra innings.

The two teams will face off again for the second game of their four-game series at Citi Field on Friday night. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (12-9, 3.57 ERA) will start for the Phillies, while Mets rookie righty Gabriel Ynoa will make his second Major League start.

Hellickson threw the second shutout of his career last weekend against the Marlins.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 22: Asdrubal Cabrera #13 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a game winning walk-off three run home run in the bottom of the twelfth inning against as Edubray Ramos #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks off the field at Citi Field on September 22, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)