The Mets lost two contributors, then lost a winning streak in a heartbreaker.
The Phillies cut down the potential winning run at the plate in the ninth inning, and then capitalized with a run in the 10th to steal a 2-1 victory in front of 38,467 at Citi Field on Friday night.
The Mets’ six-game winning streak was snapped as they lost for just the third time in their past 18 games. More importantly, they lost Eduardo Escobar and Jeff McNeil to injuries in the first two innings.
Two days after Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez said he “hates” calling Phillies games because of their poor defense, the Philadelphia defense was the difference-maker.
In the ninth inning, with the score tied 1-1, Starling Marte led off with a double against Seranthony Dominguez and moved to third on Francisco Lindor’s deep fly out. Pete Alonso was intentionally walked to bring up pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach, who lofted a medium-deep fly ball to left field. The Phillies’ Matt Vierling threw a strike home, and Marte was tagged out by catcher J.T. Realmuto to send the game to the 10th.
Starling Marte is tagged out at the plate during the ninth inning. USA TODAY SportsMets manager Buck Showalter went to Mychal Givens for the 10th though closer Edwin Diaz had thrown just eight pitches an inning prior. The Phillies advanced ghost runner Bryson Stott to third on a groundout before Alec Bohm hit a medium-distance fly ball to Marte. The right fielder’s throw home to Tomas Nido was on time, but one-hopped and got by the catcher for the go-ahead run.
After Mark Canha’s flyout moved Vogelbach, the ghost runner, to third in the bottom of the 10th, former Yankee David Robertson struck out Tyler Naquin looking and got Luis Guillorme to ground out to first.
The Mets (73-40) fell to 6 ½ games ahead of the Braves before Atlanta’s game had finished.
Bryson Stott scores the go-ahead run in the tenth inning after Tomas Nido fails to catch Starling Marte’s throw. USA TODAY SportsMax Scherzer, who needed 43 pitches to claw through two innings, somehow lasted for seven one-run innings in which he continually flirted with danger and continually found his way out.
The Phillies tagged him for nine hits, but left eight on base, including seven in the first four innings.
Scherzer, who lowered his ERA to 1.93, got better as the night got longer. He allowed just two batters to reach in his final three innings, and one of them got to first because of the impromptu defense behind Scherzer. In the sixth inning, Darick Hall hit a liner toward Canha, who had been forced to play third base, and he could not cleanly field the one-hopper.
Scherzer quickly induced a double-play ball from Jean Segura, continuing a theme of the defense letting him down, but Scherzer rising up.
By the top of the third, the Mets were tied, but down two starters.
Escobar, who had a rough start to the game defensively, left after he sustained left side tightness. He was set to undergo imaging, the Mets said. Guillorme pinch-hit for Escobar in the bottom of the second inning.
In the next frame, McNeil did not take the field because of what the team said was a right thumb laceration. In the bottom of the second, McNeil had grounded out to Rhys Hoskins at first and attempted to roll awkwardly under Hoskins’ tag.
Max Scherzer pitches on Friday during the Mets’ loss to the Phillies.USA TODAY SportsWithout McNeil, the Mets put Guillorme at second and moved Canha from left field to third base (a position he had played in four major league games and none since 2016), while Tyler Naquin entered to play left field.
Any extended loss of McNeil, who had been on a 13-game hitting streak in which he was batting .407, would hurt.
Infielders Deven Marrero and Gosuke Katoh, neither of whom is on the 40-man roster, were pulled early from Triple-A Syracuse’s game. It is unclear if their early exits were related to Escobar’s and McNeil’s injuries.
All things considered, Scherzer and the Mets had to be thrilled to be down just 1-0 after an inning and a half.
The Phillies struck in the first, when Bryson Stott led off with a double and was singled in by Bohm.
In the second, the Phillies loaded the bases on two infield hits and a walk. The first single was from Jean Segura on a ball that hit the bag. Escobar could not adjust quickly enough. The second was a hot shot from Hoskins that Escobar could not cleanly backhand. But Scherzer got Bohm to ground out to strand all three runners, though he had thrown 44 pitches through two innings.
The struggles — and escapes — continued In the fourth, when Naquin was tested with two line drives to left-center that were just out of his reach. Again the Phillies put runners on second and third, but Scherzer got Hoskins to fly out to end the inning.
