:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56147747/829636522.0.jpg)
I’m going to ask you a question right now, and be honest: how much do you really want to read about this game?
Think hard. The Phillies lost to the Mets 10-0 in what was pretty much a bloodbath. A pitcher got hurt and two more served up their pitches on an easy-to-hit platter. The game was so bad that in the middle of looking at the Phillies box score just now, the Lehigh Valley score popped up on my phone, and even though they lost, I spent a good three minutes pouring over that box score. It was three minutes I wasn’t writing about this crap sack of a game.
I can’t think of a two better words to describe it than crap sack. So proceed with caution. To reward you for continuing to read despite this absolute waste of nine innings, I’ll keep it short.
Short just like Vince Velasquez’s outing today. He gave up a three-run home run in one inning of work and officially left due to right middle finger numbness. You wanna read something infuriating?
Mackanin said Velasquez notified them of some middle finger numbness pregame and they decided to let him pitch
— Ben Harris (@byBenHarris) August 11, 2017
YUP. GREAT JOB, EVERYONE. GREAT GREAT JOB DOING GOOD BASEBALL THINGS TODAY.
Mark Leiter Jr. came in to replace him, and his performance is why I chose to name the recap after him again. He essentially pitched a start after a shitty one-inning lead in. He went five innings and gave up four hits and one run (a homer), and struck out seven. And here’s a fun fact.
Mark Leiter Jr. is the first Phillies reliever in recorded history with 7+ strikeouts in two straight appearances.
— Corey Seidman (@CoreySeidmanCSN) August 11, 2017
That’s spectacular. And even more spectacular is his line from the last two games.
Mark Leiter Jr. has replaced Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez very early in their last starts. His line: 9.1 ip, 6 h, 1 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 16 k.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) August 11, 2017
Two of the other relievers weren’t as good. Both Jesen Therrien and Luis Garcia gave up three runs on three hits, and they each allowed a home run. It was... gross.
Rhys Hoskins didn’t have a fantastically stellar major league debut: he went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout. But considering that he made his debut against Jacob deGrom, it could have been a lot worse.
Like, perhaps, the rest of the Phillies lineup. They got four hits on the whole night and it was stupid. One of them, thankfully, belonged to Odubel Herrera, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games, a career hight. Swoon.
And that’s it. Go and live your life knowing that this game and this recap are in the past.