Phillies 7 Mets 5 (Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA)
Mets record: 71-84
Mets streak: Lost 2
WP - Zack Wheeler (13-6)
LP - Jose Quintana (3-6)
SV - Jose Alvarado (10)
Seat on the Korner:
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Bryce Harper hit the home run that turned the game around, and also had himself a two run single in the 5th that stretched the lead to 6-2 and put the game out of reach as the Phillies would win 7-5.
Need to Know
Jose Quintana struck out ten in his six innings of work. but he also gave up five earned runs on eight hits, and two home runs in a game for the first time since June of 2022, including the go ahead home run to Alec Bohm.
Zack Wheeler didn't have his best stuff today, giving up eight hits in his seven innings of work, but he only gave up three earned runs as two scored on a Trea Turner error, and two of the earned runs scored on a fly ball that Josh Rojas misplayed in center field.
Pete Alonso was 0-for-4 today, 3-for-his last 34.
Jeff McNeil and Brett Baty both had themselves two hits in four at-bats today.
The Phillies' magic number to reach the postseason is now 2 with the victory, and their magic number to clinch home field advantage in the Wild Card round is now 3.
Turning Point
With the Mets up 2-0 in the bottom of the 2nd, Bryce Harper did this:
Harper not only hit that home run against a guy who hadn't given up a lot of home runs this season, but he did it against a stiff wind blowing in from right field thanks to the sub-tropical storm making its rounds.
Three Keys
Instincts ...
As we're in the part of the season where there's really nothing to play for except for the development of the young players, it was refreshing to see Ronny Mauricio's baseball IQ in full bloom. In the second inning, Trea Turner misplayed a possible double play ball for an error, scoring DJ Stewart. Then ...
Nobody would have batted an eye is Mauricio had Cadillaced it into third base and played safe baseball. But Ronny kept his head up, noticed that the throw in from Kyle Schwarber was a bit of a lollipop, and Turner was still sulking over the error so he wasn't paying attention. Mauricio kept his head up all the way and took advantage.
Defense ...
For a stretch after Mauricio's dash, it was the Phillies feasting on the Mets bad defense. After the Harper home run, Francisco Lindor made an error on a ground ball by J.T. Realmuto, and then Nick Castellanos' "triple" tied the game. "Triple" is in quotes because it was a sinking liner that bounced in front of, and then behind Jeff McNeil in left field which allowed the run to score and Castellanos to get to third.
Then in the fifth after an infield single by Josh Rojas and a double by Kyle Schwarber, Lindor got a grounder right to him while the Mets were playing the infield in, but he bounced the throw to the plate to allow the run to score where you thought a good throw had Rojas nailed. Not sure what the stiff wind had to do with it, if anything, but defense let the Mets down today ... to the point that when the Mets got a break in the 7th when Josh Rojas misplayed a Brandon Nimmo fly ball into two runs (then three later in the inning), it merely made things even on that front.
The babies in the 8th ...
The Mets tried to rally in the 8th down 7-5, and even though they didn't get it done, it was a good inning to look back on for three of the four "Baby Mets" in their development for different reasons.
Gregory Soto and his left-handed 100 mph fastball was on the mound, and after a one out walk to D.J. Stewart, the kids got a taste of what to expect from high quality relievers going forward. Mauricio struck out flailing at a slider in the dirt, but then Brett Baty singled the other way on a 98 mph fastball on the outer half, and it was great to see as Baty has seen an uptick in his play since coming back from injury.
But with runners on first and second Vientos, who has been very good hitting pitches of all types the last few days, couldn't hold up his swing on a slider that darted downward for the third out. Three Baby Mets performing to various degrees against a really tough albeit wild pitcher, but even though they couldn't tie the game it's another bit of experience that will take them far going into next season.
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