PHILADELPHIA — Two Philadelphia Phillies fans walked around the Citizens Bank Park concourse on Saturday afternoon asking fans decked in red and powder blue, if they were ready to “smash the pumpkin.” Clearly, the “playoff pumpkin” displayed by Pete Alonso after the Mets‘ Wild Card win is not welcome in enemy territory. The pumpkin remains intact after a 6-2 win in Game 1 of the NLDS. The Mets scored five runs in the top of the eighth off three Philadelphia relievers to win in comeback fashion for the third time in four playoff games. “The game is never over until the ninth,” said third baseman Mark Vientos. “We’ve been running with that mentality the past week.” Really, they’ve been running with that mentality all season. The Mets were 41-37 in comeback games in the regular season and their 65-41 record since June 1 was the best in baseball. Yet the city of Philadelphia seems to be under the impression that the Mets advanced to the NLDS by sheer vibes alone. To be fair, the Mets did have a menagerie of mascots this season and their second baseman is a Latin pop star, so yeah, the vibes are high, but the same was said about the Phillies during their run to the World Series two years ago. The Mets insist they aren’t just getting by on sheer luck. “We know we’re good,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “And we’ve got good players and we’re executing.” “I believe in us working hard,” Vientos said. “The results will happen after.” Kodai Senga made his anticipated return and promptly gave up a 425-foot bomb to Kyle Schwarber in the bottom of the first. But Senga, David Peterson, Reed Garrett and Phil Maton combined to hold the Phillies scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when the Mets held a five-run lead. They limited the NL East champs to two runs on five hits, with Ryne Stanek giving up a run in the top of the ninth. Senga left a 1-1 four-seam fastball over the plate to the Phillies leadoff man and he sent it into the second deck of right field. As a sellout crowd of 45,751 exploded and Schwarber rounded the bases, Senga stood looking at the sky with his hands on his hips, looking shocked and angry. “It was like, ‘Dang, I gave up a home run,'” Senga said through interpreter Hiro Fujiwara. However, he was able to quickly refocus. “I’ve been pitching a pretty long time I’ve given up a fair share of homers,” the Nippon Professional Baseball League vet said. “So in order to stay out there, I need to reflect on myself, be calm and get after the next guy.” His first start since July 26 and only his second in the calendar year, the right-hander was admittedly “amped up,” which he said could have led to the home run. Few knew what to expect from the enigmatic right-hander given the uncertainty of his season and his health, but he threw 31 pitches over two innings, striking out three and walking one. Senga is anticipating getting another turn in the series. Peterson, who earned the save Wednesday night in Milwaukee, followed up with three no-hit innings, walked three and struck out one. “They got the home run in the first at-bat, but it felt like a 0-0 ballgame the entire time,” Petersons said. “Credit the offense for continuing to battle until we could get some runs across.” Zack Wheeler, a former Mets starter, was brilliant, shutting the Mets out over seven innings, allowing only one hit, while walking three and striking out nine. The Mets swung and missed 30 times on Wheeler’s offerings, an absurd number. It became a different ballgame after Wheeler’s exit. The Mets scored twice against right-hander Jeff Hoffman in the top of the eighth before an out was recorded. Vientos, the only player in a Mets uniform to get a hit off Wheeler, hit Hoffman too, tying the game at 1-1 with an RBI single. The Phillies then used left-hander Matt Strahm to counter the left-handed Brandon Nimmo, who lined one to left field to drive in the go-ahead run. A fly ball by Pete Alonso scored Vientos to give the Mets a 3-1 lead, and Jose Iglesias (the aforementioned Latin pop star) then worked a 10-pitch at-bat, sending a cutter up the middle for a single, chasing Strahm from the game. Right-hander Orion Kerkering came in and the Mets countered with J.D. Martinez. With two on and one out, Martinez singled to center to score Nimmo. Iglesias beat the tag to third, putting him in position to score on a fly ball to center field by Starling Marte. The Mets played the matchups from there, using Reed Garrett for two innings and Phil Maton after they took the lead. A sixth run in the top of the ninth allowed them to save Edwin Diaz, who threw 39 pitches two days ago. “All of those guys were amazing and gave us a shot,” Nimmo said. “We’re not even in that position if our bullpen doesn’t do what they do and keep that at 1-0.” In the end, the only smashing done was to the Phillies bullpen.