Mets white knuckle their way to win number one

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports It wasn’t the most pleasant affair, but the Mets got their first win of the season Tuesday in Philadelphia, topping the Phillies 8-4. Marcus Stroman got the win with six strong innings of one-run ball, striking out only three but doing a fantastic job of keeping the ball on the ground. Dom Smith and Pete Alonso provided the first two homers of the season, but the bullpen continued to struggle, making the back third of this game a bit of a slog.

Much like in the first game, the Mets’ offense failed to start well against a pitcher they should probably dominate: Chase Anderson. Aside from a Pete Alonso double in the second—the first extra-base hit of the season…