Mets–Phillies rivalry

The Mets–Phillies rivalry or Battle of the Broads is a Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Both clubs are members of MLB's National League (NL) East division. The rivalry between the two clubs is said to be among the most fiercely contested in the NL. The two NL East divisional rivals have met each other recently in playoff, division, and Wild Card races. The Battle of the Broads name is a nod to both cities having the word Broad in their street names: Broadway in New York, and Broad Street in Philadelphia.

Aside from several brawls in the 1980s, the rivalry remained relatively low-key before the 2006 season, as the teams had rarely been competing for a playoff spot at the same time. A notable moment in their early meetings was Jim Bunning's perfect game on Father's Day of 1964, the first perfect game in Phillies history, which happened when the Mets were on a losing streak. The Phillies were near the bottom of the NL East when the Mets won the 1969 World Series and the National League pennant in 1973, while the Mets did not enjoy success in the late 1970s when the Phillies won three straight division championships. Although both teams each won a World Series in the 1980s, the Mets were not serious contenders in the Phillies' playoff years (1980, 1981, and 1983), nor did the Phillies seriously contend in the Mets' playoff years (1986 and 1988). The Mets were the Majors' worst team when the Phillies won the NL pennant in 1993, and the Phillies could not post a winning record in either of the Mets' wild-card-winning seasons of 1999 or 2000, when the Mets faced the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series.

The rivalry intensified in the mid 2000s, as the teams battled more often for playoff position. The Mets won the division in 2006, while the Phillies won five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011. The Phillies' 2007 championship was won on the last day of the season as the Mets lost a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining. The Phillies broke the Curse of Billy Penn to win the 2008 World Series, while the Mets' last title came in the 1986 World Series.

In 2015, the Mets won the National League Championship Series for their fifth pennant while the Phillies entered a rebuild phase. The Mets beat the Phillies 14 times and lost 5 for a lopsided season series. The season still provided contentious moments such as, Mets pitcher Matt Harvey drilling Phillies 2nd baseman Chase Utley in retaliation for Mets players getting hit by Phillies pitchers, a benches clearing argument between Phillies coach Larry Bowa in regards to a quick pitch by Hansel Robles and a bat flip by Daniel Murphy. Phillies star Chase Utley while, traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers mid-season, injured Mets shortstop Rubén Tejada on a slide during Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

Early history

Bunning's perfect game

Bunning's perfect game occurred in the 1964 season, during which the Phillies finished at the top and the Mets finished bottom. Pitcher Jim Bunning, in his first season with the Phillies, entered play on June 21 with a 6–2 record on the season. He was opposed on the mound by Tracy Stallard for the Mets in the first game of a doubleheader. Through the first four innings, Bunning totaled four strikeouts through 12 batters. In the fifth inning, Phillies second baseman Tony Taylor preserved the perfect game with his strong defensive play. A diving catch and a throw from the knees kept Mets catcher Jesse Gonder off of the bases. Bunning also made plays at the plate, hitting a double and driving in two runs in the sixth inning. By the end of the game, even the Mets fans were cheering Bunning's effort; he had only reached a three-ball count on two batters, and retired shortstop Charley Smith on a pop-out, and pinch-hitters George Altman and John Stephenson on strikeouts, to complete the perfect game. Bunning, who at the time had seven children, said that his game, pitched on Father's Day, could not have come at a more appropriate time. He remarked that his slider was his best pitch, just like the no-hitter I pitched for Detroit six years ago. Bunning became the first pitcher to throw a winning no-hitter in both leagues, and posted the first regular-season perfect game since Charlie Robertson in 1922 (Don Larsen's prior perfect game was in the 1956 World Series). The Phillies also won the second game of the doubleheader, 8–2, behind Rick Wise.

The Phillies performed strongly for most of the season, but surrendered a game lead during the last weeks of the season that year, losing 10 games in a row with 12 games remaining and losing the pennant by one game to the St. Louis Cardinals. "The Phold" of 1964 is among the most notable collapses in sports history. The Mets, meanwhile, finished the year in last place, with a 53–109 record—the worst in Major League Baseball.

Tug McGraw

Tug McGraw pitched for the Mets from 1965 to 1967, and again from 1969 to 1974 after spending all of the 1968 season in the minor leagues. In those nine seasons, he amassed 86 saves and appeared in 361 games. He appeared in the postseason for the 1969 Miracle Mets, pitching three innings against the Atlanta Braves. He was selected to the 1972 All-Star team, and appeared in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award voting in 1972 and 1973. During the 1973 pennant-winning season, he coined the Mets' rally cry, "Ya gotta believe!" In the 1974 season, McGraw experienced issues with his arm and shoulder. Thus, the Mets traded McGraw, along with outfielders Don Hahn and Dave Schneck, to the Phillies in December 1974 for pitcher Mac Scarce, catcher John Stearns, and outfielder Del Unser.

McGraw became a staple of the back end of the Phillies' bullpen, saving 94 games between 1975 and 1982, and earning a place on the 1975 All-Star team. Under manager Danny Ozark, the Phillies won three consecutive division championships from 1976 to 1978 with McGraw as the closer, while the Mets finished third in 1976 and last in 1977 and 1978. In 1980, McGraw was on the mound against the Kansas City Royals when the Phillies won their first World Series championship, earning his fourth save of that postseason. He struck out Willie Wilson with the bases loaded to preserve the win for Steve Carlton and the Phillies, leaping from the mound to embrace catcher Bob Boone on the field at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Sportswriter Allen Barra recounted that McGraw, in the victory parade after the World Series, told New York fans they could "take this championship and shove it."

1980s–1990s

1986

The Mets won the National League East by games in 1986, but the Phillies were the only team to post a winning record against them, including winning 7 of 9 at Veterans Stadium. On September 12, up by 22 games, the Mets came to Philadelphia for a three-game weekend series needing one win to clinch the division. The Mets brought champagne to Philadelphia. Before the series, Mets manager Davey Johnson told the Associated Press, "It will be nice to clinch in Philadelphia. It gives us a chance to beat the only team in our way...I have a nice warm feeling about this." He told ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'': "For the fans...it would be nicer to clinch at home. But for the safety...and the livelihood of the players...it's better to do it on the road." In the series opener, Mike Schmidt hit a three-run homer, Phillies rookie Bruce Ruffin out pitched the Mets' Dwight Gooden, and the Phillies won, 6–3. The Phillies won the second game of the series, 6–5; visiting Mets fans became unruly and damaged seats in the upper deck. One Mets fan was arrested after hitting two Philadelphia police officers. The Phillies completed the sweep by beating the Mets, 6–0, behind a shutout from Kevin Gross, who also drove in two runs with a fourth-inning triple. The Mets would clinch the division at Shea Stadium

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