Aaron Nola struck out 10 straight batters to match a major league record that stood alone for 51 years, but the New York Mets rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in eight innings Friday on big hits by Francisco Lindor and Dominic Smith during the first game of a doubleheader.
New York took advantage of an embarrassing two-base error by reliever José Alvarado, who overthrew first base on a comebacker while clinging to a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning of a game scheduled for seven under pandemic rules.
That led to Lindor's tying single with two outs, and Smith won it with an RBI single off Ranger Suárez (3-2) in the eighth.
Hall of Fame ace Tom Seaver fanned his final 10 hitters for the Mets in a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium on April 22, 1970.
That mark for consecutive strikeouts held for more than five decades until Nola whiffed Michael Conforto leading off the fourth at Citi Field, which replaced Shea Stadium as the Mets' home in 2009 on an adjacent site in Queens.
Nola also singled off the left-field wall and doubled home Philadelphia's run against starter Taijuan Walker during a sensational all-around performance that resembled a Little League star.
The right-hander tied a career high with 12 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of two-hit ball, but a struggling bullpen was unable to hang on as the Phillies dropped their fourth in a row.
Seth Lugo (1-0) struck out three in the top of the eighth and stranded two runners for the NL East leaders, playing their third doubleheader in seven days.
Featuring a nasty knuckle curve, Nola started and ended his streak with punchouts of Conforto, who came off the injured list Wednesday. With the late-afternoon crowd chanting his name, Pete Alonso halted the astounding run of Ks when he reached across the plate to poke a 1-2 slider inside the right-field line for a line-drive double.
Nola got off to an inauspicious start. He hit leadoff batter Jeff McNeil with a curveball in the first inning and then gave up a double to Lindor that left runners at second and third.
The right-hander struck out Conforto, Alonso and Smith in succession to keep New York off the scoreboard — and didn't slow down. James McCann, Kevin Pillar and Luis Guillorme went down in the second, then Walker, McNeil and Lindor in the third.
Seven of the strikeouts during Nola's string were swinging. He caught Smith, McCann and Walker looking.
The streak alone gave Nola his 19th double-digit strikeout game and third this season.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 25: Michael Conforto #30 of the New York Mets and Dominic Smith #2 celebrate after Smith hit a game-winning walk off single in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game one of a doubleheader at Citi Field on June Photo: Getty Images North America