deGrominated: Mets 1, Phillies 0

For the second straight night, the Phillies had to face one of the Mets’ ace pitchers. On Friday, they were able to muster just enough offense against Max Scherzer to earn the win. But facing Jacob deGrom on Saturday, the only thing they mustered was a high strikeout total in a 1-0 loss.

The Phillies got a hit courtesy of Rhys Hoskins in the first inning, but the two strikeouts were much more representative of how the game would go. They wouldn’t get another baserunner until the sixth inning, and had just five altogether, compared to the 14 times they struck out.

Despite their offensive inadequacy, the Phillies remained in the game because Aaron Nola was almost as dominant as deGrom. The Mets manufactured a run in the first thanks in part to Starling Marte stealing a base and advancing to third on a throwing error by J.T. Realmuto.

That was the only run they could manage against Nola who struck out eight in an eight-inning complete game effort.

The Phillies appeared to catch a break when deGrom was removed after six innings, but they didn’t have much more success against the Mets bullpen. They had a single hit across the seventh and eighth innings before Edwin Diaz’s control issues opened the door for a comeback in the ninth.

Two walks and a double steal put the tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position with two outs, but Nick Castellanos’ third strikeout of the game ended the threat.

The series finale is on Sunday afternoon. The first two games have featured excellent starting pitching, and with Zack Wheeler and Chris Bassitt scheduled to start, there’s a good chance we get more of the same.