Christian Scott, bottom of lineup power Mets to win over Phillies in smoky conditions

PHILADELPHIA — Maybe it’s a sign of the apocalypse. No, not the smoke-filled swath covering much of the country Thursday; that was expected. Instead, it was the Mets opening the second half of their season with a 4-1 win over the Phillies. Powered by solo homers from Francisco Alvarez — who had two — and Brett Baty, as well as a strong start by Christian Scott, the reeling Mets avoided falling 18 games under .500 for the first time this year. After the start of the game was moved up by an hour due to air quality concerns caused by Canadian wildfires — which caused both teams to shorten their pregame routines after their truncated All-Star break — the Mets played an unusually solid game. And they got some help from the bottom of the lineup. New York Mets pitcher Christian Scott (45) throws