Phillies take 2/3 from the Mets in dominant fashion as they regain control of the East, and hopefully their sanity
In what was easily the biggest series of the year to date, the Phillies got to host the New York Mets. As hot as the Phillies were heading into this series, the Mets were equally as cold, losers of six straight. However, you couldn’t tell that at first, as the Mets would load the bases in the first inning against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler with only one out. Backed against the wall, Wheeler would get Jeff McNeil to ground into a clutch double play to end the inning. Wheeler would not look sharp as he struggled to locate early, as his pitch count would climb rapidly. He would end up going only five innings, but not allow a run and strike out eight Mets in the process. The game would be deadlocked at 0-0 until the bottom of the fourth when an Otto Kemp fielder’s choice and Brandon Marsh single made it 2-0 Philly. In the sixth, in a scene eerily similar to game one of the NLDS last year, Taijuan Walker would relieve Wheeler and immediately give up back-to-back solo shots to Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil to make it 2-2. Tanner Banks would replace Walker, but the damage was done, and things once again felt unsteady against the Mets. Banks would, however, come back out and have a clutch shutdown sixth inning. Things were quiet until the seventh inning when a 2-2 game became an 8-2 Phillies lead. It was a barrage that saw the Phillies bat around and was highlighted by Nick Castellanos and JT Realmuto sliding into home essentially, simultaneously. The Phillies would get two more on a Castellanos homer in the eighth, and Max Lazar would shut the door in the eighth and ninth for a much-needed Phillies win versus the Mets, 10-2.
Saturday would be all Mets. Mick Abel would show why he might not be a reliable starter just yet, as he would yet again only go three innings while only striking out one. The Mets were not fooled by what he was dealing and Abel would allow four solo shots including a sequence in which Lindor, Nimmo, and Soto went back to back to back. The Phillies would keep themselves in it, though, as it was only 5-4 Mets through five innings. After a maybe the worst fly ball tracking in team history from Nick Castellanos, though, the Mets would leave the inning up 7-4, and that would be all, but it was. The Mets would continue to add on, unbelievably having seven solo shots and bury the Phillies to knot the series up with an 11-4 loss.
With the series tied 1-1, the Phillies would get the chance on the national stage to show who they are. What would follow would be maybe the most satisfying win of the season so far. Jesús Luzardo would continue his domination against the Mets. He would go 6.2 innings of shutout baseball while striking out seven. Only four guys would even reach base during Lefty’s time on the mound. On the offensive side, things would be quiet until the fourth when Kyle Schwarber got the scoring going with his 24th homer of the season to make it 1-0. Otto Kemp would continue the scoring by driving in Nick Castellanos, and the knockout punch would come a few batters later when Edmundo Sosa launched a three-run bomb to make it 5-0. The Phillies would add two more late to make it 7-0, and the Phillies would cruise to a nationally televised beatdown of the Mets, 7-1, to get the series victory.
The past two weeks have been gigantic for the Phillies, and this weekend’s series was the icing on the cake. This team has struggled to beat this Mets team for years now, and taking two of three this weekend was huge for the standings, but also for the mentality of this group. This Mets team is not that good. On their best day, they are an equal opponent to the Phillies. This group needed to do what they did this weekend. The Phillies now have a one-game lead in the NL East on this Mets team, which is still reeling and is sending a very clear message to the front office that it is time to go all in on this group. The offense has looked great, the starting pitching is unreal, and even the bullpen has held firm really since May. The Phils will look to continue their dominance Tuesday night as they take on the Astros in Houston.