The Phillies walked off the Mets in extra innings thanks to a clutch hit from Jay Bruce, who came full circle in a game against his former team. Tied in the bottom of the 10th, Rhys Hoskins worked a tough nine-pitch walk to lead things off. The Mets’ defense then let a routine play drop in over the third baseman’s head, putting two on with no outs. That led to a mound visit from the Mets’ aging pitching coach, who stressed throwing more fastballs. Enter Bruce, now with Philadelphia after bouncing from the Mets to the Mariners and back to the NL East.
Bruce jumped on a fastball away and hammered it to center. It short-hopped the wall, easily scoring the runner from second and ending the game. The Phillies dugout erupted. Hoskins struggled to climb the dugout railing in excitement. Bryce Harper got in on the celebration with a big fist pump and a slow-mo reaction. Bruce, calm and collected, soaks it in and shares some high fives. One teammate botched the timing and interrupted a moment between Bruce and Harper, but no one cared with the walk-off win sealed.
The postgame water toss was a little off target, landing Bruce and a few bystanders in a puddle. Garcia made sure Bruce got soaked. Rodriguez caught some splash damage. Bruce finished it off with more high fives and a relaxed, confident look. He let the hair flow. The message was clear. He’s not just back in the NL East. He’s helping the Phillies win.