Phillies Hand Away NLDS Game 1 to Red Hot Mets
Sunny skies, temperatures in the mid 70s, a National League East flag flying in Ashburn Alley, and the opening of Red October looked too perfect.
Kyle Schwarber ignited a sellout crowd with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first, and Zack Wheeler sparkled on the mound.
What else was left to do? The Phillies handed away Game 1 against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park with a leaky bullpen and an offensive drought.
Mets Steal Game 1 From Suspect Phillies Bullpen
The Phillies entered the MLB Postseason with one of the most poised bullpens in the playoff field. Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, and Orion Kerkering all had career seasons.
It didn’t matter in the eighth inning. Three of Rob Thomson’s most trusted relievers imploded. The Mets scored five runs on five hits in an inning that seemed like it would carry on forever at Citizens Bank Park.
Mark Vientos, Brandon Nimmo, and J.D. Martinez all had RBI hits. Pete Alonso and Starling Marte drove in runs on sacrifice flies.
The Red October crowd was stunned.
Phillies Bats Go Cold
The leadoff home run could’ve open the floodgates against a team that had exhausted its energy in a Monday doubleheader and an emotional roller coaster of a week.
The offense instead allowed Kodai Senga to settle in. They went the rest of Wheeler’s outing with only one more hit, a bloop single by Schwarber in the third inning.
Senga, David Peterson, Reid Garrett, Phil Maton, and Ryne Stanek slammed the door following the leadoff home run in a 6-2 victory.
Bryce Harper walked twice and doubled in the eighth inning. His hit didn’t lead to a rally however, as Alec Bohm grounded out softly two batters later with no damage done. Kody Clemens drove in one run with the game out of reach in the ninth inning.
Phillies hitters wasted an outstanding effort from their ace. They face all the pressure with a series deficit after Game 1.
Zack Wheeler Dominates
There’s a reason Zack Wheeler will earn $42 million in average salary on his new contract. The staff ace was the biggest bright spot for the Phillies in seven scoreless innings.
He struck out nine and allowed only one hit before handing the ball to Jeff Hoffman to begin the eighth.
Related Content: 97.5 The Fanatic Phillies Red October Photo Gallery
Wheeler mixed his pitches with dominance. He took the adrenaline rush of the Red October crowd to the mound in the first inning and hit 99 miles per hour on the gun with his four-seam fastball.
The Mets struggled to make contact with anything he threw. Wheeler struck out three with his splitter, two with his sweeper, two with the four-seamer swinging, and one with the four-seamer looking.
Pete Alonso struck out three times against Wheeler.
The 34-year-old playoff vet did allow more free passes than he would’ve liked. He walked four and hit one batter in Game 1.
The Citizens Bank Park crowd rose to their feet when Zack Wheeler walked off the mound after the seventh. They didn’t realize at the time that things were as good as they would get.
Phillies Face Mets in Game 2
The Phillies will face the Mets on Sunday at 4:08pm in Game 2.
Cristopher Sanchez takes the mound for the Phillies. He posted a 2.21 ERA in 17 home starts during the regular season, convincing Rob Thomson to push Aaron Nola to Game 3 at Citi Field.
“I had the experience of pitching in the playoffs last year, but I can’t compare that to this year. I think that what we’ve been doing all year has helped me. Being in the organization and to be here in postseason now this year, that means (I’m) more mature. (I have) more experience. I think what we’ve been doing with all the work, it helps my confidence. It gives me strength.” -Cristopher Sanchez
Carlos Mendoza will counter with Luis Severino as the Game 2 starter for the Mets.
Listen to John “Boog” Sciambi and Doug Glanville on the call on 97.5 The Fanatic.
