Final Score: Mets 6, Phillies 0
NEW YORK — A fourth inning featuring bloops, mental errors and four runs by the home team decided the three-game series between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.
Starter Zack Wheeler, who allowed six runs over six innings, was a strike away from leaving the inning unscathed. Instead, Mark Canha hit an 0-2 fastball the other way to make it 2-0 New York. The throw from Nick Castellanos was not cut off in the infield and Canha advanced to second.
On the next pitch, Luis Guillorme hit a bloop single to extend the lead. Another bloop, this time from catcher James McCann, scored two. Brandon Marsh misplayed the initial ball, made a casual throw to the cutoff man Jean Segura, who was caught off guard when a second runner began rounding third. Jeff McNeil, who reached on a walk, scored all the way home from first. Both hits from Guillorme and McCann came off the bat at 67 mph. It was a frustrating inning all around.
Wheeler was not at his sharpest, but perhaps a little more luck, and some better defense, would have helped him that inning.
Knebel leaves with injury
Reliever Corey Knebel left the game in the seventh with an injury in the middle of an at-bat. He threw a 94 mph fastball way outside the zone for a ball and immediately signaled for a trainer.
Interim manager Rob Thomson said after the game that Knebel suffered a lat strain. He’ll return to Philadelphia for an MRI. Mark Appel and Sam Coonrod are two possible replacements for Knebel on the roster.
Bats continue to struggle
Alec Bohm’s first-inning RBI single off Max Scherzer in game one ended up being the only earned run the Phillies would score through three games against the Mets. The first two runners reached base safely in the fourth and fifth innings against Mets starter Chris Bassitt, but the Phillies could not capitalize. The lineup went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base.
It’s the third time this week the Phillies were shut out. The Reds are up next for the Phillies on the roadtrip and while the task at hand won’t be as daunting as it was this week, the offense has to get going if the Phillies want to keep pace with the teams around them in the National League wild card race. They currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the final wild card spot in the NL.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- The Phillies were shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since August 2018.
- The Mets have either won or split every series against every NL East opponent this season. The Phillies have dropped all five series against the Mets this season.
- Bassitt has not allowed an earned run to score over his last 18 innings pitched.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Monday, Aug 15 vs. Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark
- 6:40 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP
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