Don’t call it a comeback; Phillies 7, Mets 6

Today’s game against the New York Mets, which started under blue skies that grew dark with storm clouds as the humid afternoon wore on, felt like one that the Phillies couldn’t afford to drop. Especially on the back of two losses to the Braves that the Phillies were well positioned to win - going 1-12 with RISP in one game, and in the other the pitching staff providing the offense with nine gift-wrapped scoreless innings.

The offense didn’t waste time getting things started today. Trea Turner sent the first pitch he saw from Carlos Carrasco over the center field fence and into the trees to put the good guys ahead in the first.

The sliver of a lead lasted to the third inning. Zack Wheeler hit Starling Marte in the hand to load the bases with one out after giving up singles to Brett Baty and Omar Narvaez. Wheeler struck out Francisco Lindor, then threw a sinker to Pete Alonso that he popped into shallow centerfield just over Turner’s outstretched glove. Two runners came home and the Mets took the lead, 2-1.

The action continued into the bottom of the inning. Edmundo Sosa hit a long fly ball that evaded Starling Marte’s glove and bounced off the right field fence. Sosa hustled to third for his first triple of the season. Kyle Schwarber walked on five pitches to put runners on the corners. Trea Turner stepped into the box and jumped on a slider that shot past Lindor at short and allowed Sosa to score, tying the game at 2 runs apiece. Bryce Harper walked on four pitches. Nick Castellanos accidentally clipped a ball on a checked swing that resulted in an easy out but moved the runners to second and third. J.T. Realmuto struck out chasing pitches nowhere close to the strike zone. With two outs and bases loaded, Stott stepped up to the plate, worked a 3-0 count, then after fouling off a few pitches drove a loping ball to Lindor in center to end the inning. Despite all of the action in the third, the Phillies did what the Phillies do and somehow managed to plate only a single run.

The Mets, with a little help from the home plate ump, ran up Wheeler’s pitch count early in the game. The Mets were able to again take the lead in the fourth when Wheeler gave up a hit to Baty and a walk to Omar Narvaez before Brandon Nimmo drove in a run.

Dominic Leone, who replaced Carrasco to start the fifth, walked Trea Turner on four pitches. Turner, perhaps inspired to take the game into his own hands, stole second base standing up. On the very next pitch he stole third. As he slid into the bag, the throw from behind the plate by Omar Narvaez got past Baty and rolled into the outfield. Turner sprang up and bolted for home. He crossed the plate and made it a one run game.

Wheeler took the ball again to start the sixth. After 107 pitches, and having given up a walk and a long single to Nimmo that almost went into the stands, he was finally pulled. He struck out eight over 5.1 innings with five earned runs.

Strahm took over and gave up a sacrifice bouncer to Marte that scored a run to make it 5-3.

Thomson sent Jose Alvarado to the mound in the seventh in an atempt to limit the Mets’ lead. Pete Alonso immediately thwarted that plan with a solo shot into the left field stands to put the Mets up by three. A walk to Mark Canha and line drive by Tommy Pham put runners on first and second with no outs. Jeff McNeil laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third for Baty, who was 2-for-3 for the day. Alvarado struck him out swinging, then did the same for Francisco Alvarez to end the inning. Lightning tore across the darkened sky as storm clouds drew near. The scoreboard read Mets 6, Phillies 3.

Fans of the show Unsolved Mysteries will probably obsess over the insanity that then ensued.

Harper started the eighth inning by drawing a walk. Realmuto followed with a line drive single. With no outs, Stott walked to load the bases. After the Mets went to the bullpen to swap Josh Walker for Jeff Brigham, Bohm hit a ground ball to Baty at third who struggled to get the ball out of his glove before throwing to McNeil at second. McNeil failed somehow to catch the ball and the Phillies scored without giving up an out. Bases were still loaded with no outs when Brandon Marsh came to the plate. Marsh sent a towering fly ball to right that sailed foul. He worked a full count and then watched a fourth ball that missed low to walk in the second run of the inning. Kody Clemens didn’t get a copy of the script and struck out. With one out and bases loaded, Kyle Schwarber stepped up the plate and fans nervously tugged at their shirt collars. The baseball gods took pity on Schwarber, for whom June this year had only lasted a week, and Brigham hit him with a pitch to drive in another run and tie the game. Brigham continued to earn cheers from the home crowd by beaning Turner, thus pushing yet another run across home plate for the good guys to take the lead, 7-6.

One hit. Four runs. This comeback was forced upon them by the Mets.

Craig Kimbrel took the ball in the top of the ninth. He hit Pete Alonso to put him on first, then struck out Canha and Pham before Jeff McNeil popped out to Marsh in center. Chalk up another save for Kimbrel.

Despite going 1-9 with RISP and giving up eleven hits, the Fightins’ pulled this one out. Maybe Buck Showalter got confused over which team he was supposed to help win. Whatever it was, sometimes getting lucky is better than being good.

And that’s how we finally took a series from our nemesis from Flushing.

Up Next

The Phillies travel to Chicago to face the baby bears on Tuesday at 8:05. Ranger Suárez is scheduled to take the mound against a yet to be determined arm. The Cubs (37-39) are returning from a two game series they split against the St. Louis Cardinals in London, which is apparently in this whole different country.