NEW YORK -- Over 11 games against the Phillies this season, the Mets have demonstrated an uncommon mastery of their Jersey Turnpike rivals. They’ve won eight of those contests and have done so in all sorts of different ways. Saturday, the Mets managed an 8-2 win at Citi Field to ensure their fourth straight series victory over Philadelphia, in large part thanks to six combined RBIs from Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor.

“It’s like nobody’s trying to be the hero,” Lindor said. “Everybody’s just focusing on what’s in front of their toes at that moment. If that person doesn’t get it done, the person behind them will get it done.”

Anecdotally, McNeil’s home run drew interest in the home clubhouse because he claimed to have seen an eagle perched in right field prior to hitting the ball there. Those with an interest in more conclusive facts may find intrigue from this trio of statistics that came out of the game:

McNeil: A 1.000 slugging percentage since …
… Remember that guy in San Francisco who heckled McNeil from the stands earlier this week, yelling about his lack of power? McNeil homered in that at-bat and again on Saturday, staring down his 402-foot shot to the second deck in right field. Since the heckler had his say, McNeil has three extra-base hits in 13 at-bats. He’s also adopted a new home-run dance, which he says is a tribute to Will Ferrell’s character Chaz in the movie “Wedding Crashers.”

“Living the dream right now,” McNeil said.

It’s been a productive run for McNeil, even if it’s been a different sort of production. Much of the reason why McNeil is thriving is because he’s using an all-fields approach and striking out at the lowest rate since his rookie season. He has, in short, reverted to the type of hitter he was earlier in his career, following a down 2021 season. The power is still there, of course, and McNeil can tap into it when pitchers make mistakes on the inner-half of the plate -- much like the one Phillies starter Zach Eflin made in the fourth. But that’s no longer the focal point of McNeil's offensive game, thanks to a repeatable swing that allows him to do damage on any type of pitch.

“I’m really not trying to do anything exciting or special,” McNeil said. “I’m just trying, basically, to not strike out.”

Pete Alonso: A franchise-record 29 RBIs in May
Saturday must have been an off night for Alonso, because he drove home merely one run. The slugging first baseman has at least one RBI in 13 of the Mets’ 26 games this month, and multiple RBIs in seven of them. With three days to go in May, Alonso even has an outside chance to break Gary Carter’s franchise record for RBIs in any month (34 in September 1985).

What’s important to note is that Alonso isn’t doing this solely through the long ball. While he ranks among the National League leaders with a dozen of those, he also has five sacrifice flies and a career-best .284 batting average. Without sacrificing power, Alonso is using the whole field more judiciously than ever before, and it’s resulting in a ton of RBIs.

Of course, it isn’t only Alonso who’s driving in runs. Lindor extended his own RBI streak to a career-best six consecutive games on Saturday; he ranks second on the team with 37 RBIs and second in the Majors among shortstops, behind only Trea Turner. With Lindor and Alonso routinely batting third and fourth, the Mets haven’t had to worry about run production all season. If Lindor doesn’t do the job, Alonso tends to clean things up behind him.

Colin Holderman: Zero earned runs over his first eight career innings
When Holderman made his Major League debut earlier this month, he seemed like the prototypical injury replacement. That’s not to say Holderman lacked a bright future -- he was one of the organization’s top relievers in the upper Minors. It’s just that bullpen callups tend not to receive too many high-leverage opportunities early in their careers. Part of the value of pitchers such as Holderman is that teams can shuttle them back and forth from the Minors with relative impunity.

Holderman, however, seems bent on making it difficult for the Mets to send him down at any point in the foreseeable future. Armed with an upper-90s sinker that opened eyes in Spring Training, he has struck out 10 batters against one walk over his first six appearances. Manager Buck Showalter, in turn, has rewarded Holderman with higher-leverage chances. He’s become a trusted member of this bullpen, and that appears to be a legitimate distinction.

“Colin has given us a little shot in the arm with some things that he is bringing for us,” Showalter said.