The National League Division Series between the Mets and Phillies has provided two really entertaining games thus far.
Game 1 saw Phillies ace Zack Wheeler absolutely shove over seven shutout innings before the never-say-die Mets staged a comeback, using a five-run eighth to earn the win.
Game 2 was a certified classic, with multiple late-inning lead changes and a walk-off knock by Nick Castellanos in the ninth inning.
As this 1-1 series shifts back to New York for Tuesday’s Game 3, it’s justified to think these two teams are very evenly matched. But you have no idea just how true that is.
The Mets and Phillies have faced off 100 times since August 2018. As pointed out by Jay Cuda on social media and confirmed by MLB.com, the two NL East rivals have split those matchups 50-50.
But wait -- it’s about to get crazy. The Mets and Phillies have played each other 1,000 times since July 1966. Would you like to guess how many wins each team has over that span?
The Mets have 500. The Phillies have 500.
Now, the Phillies have the edge in the all-time series with a 556-526 record against the Mets in the regular season and postseason. But let’s not have the full picture spoil 58 years of incredible symmetry.
On Tuesday night, one team will notch win No. 501. Perhaps it will become the latest memorable game in a rivalry full of them. Whichever team takes the head-to-head lead, history tells us it will likely be short-lived.