Mets Series Reminded Phillies Fans Of Something Important
The weekend set couldn’t have aligned any smoother for a midseason showcase. The Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets entered their series on Friday in a dead lock for…
The weekend set couldn’t have aligned any smoother for a midseason showcase.
The Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets entered their series on Friday in a dead lock for the National League East lead. The national TV crews fled to Citizens Bank Park to see two major East Coast markets in a fierce rivalry. Ticket prices soared, and a Saturday pregame party in Ashburn Alley pushed plenty of observers into the old “playoff atmosphere” cliche.
A three-game series in June isn’t a major indicator of a ball club’s season. Rob Thomson even downplayed the matchup to control the temperature of his clubhouse. His calm demeanor often separates the intensity of the Philadelphia fans and media from his public messaging.
However, after the Phillies defeated the Mets in the series rubber match on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, the crowd in Philadelphia breathed easier without the demands for a World Series influencing their every thought.
Fans instead allowed themselves to taste a sweet victory over the same rival opponent who crushed their spirits in a Red October nightmare. Despite following a team with a winning percentage north of .600, the context of the 2025 season has robbed them of that authentic joy too often through the early months of the season.
Rampant Skepticism About 2025 Phillies
The Phillies dug a five-game hole in the NL East standings by late April. They stunningly retook the division lead from the Mets less than a month later, but they gave it back again just as quickly as they seized it.
ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Couzens joined Unfiltered before calling the weekend’s final two games on 97.5 The Fanatic. He pointed to the roller coaster that the 2025 Phillies have ridden.
“They won 11 of 12. Then they lost 9 of 10. Now they’ve won 7 of 8, so who are the Phillies? Who are they? And to be able to do it against a team where you think, ‘Alright, not only is this one of the best teams in the National League… (a series win) gives us bragging rights over them.”
The most passionate and demanding sports city in the world will accept only one outcome in 2025.
Will the Phillies finally get over the hump to win a World Series after three consecutive heartbreaking exits from the MLB Postseason?
The singular goal has ratcheted up the pressure, but it also creates excessive negativity. Many fans perceive a team with most of the same players that captivated the city in Red October 2022 much differently three years later.
The 2025 season might very well be the club's last chance to win a ring before significant roster changes. Many fans have focused intensely on the ticking clock.
The Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers heightened the skepticism with splashy offseason additions. Dave Dombrowski, meanwhile, stayed surprisingly quiet.
Heated critical sports radio conversations and harsh social media venom (even more than usual?) have dampened the mood in the stands at Citizens Bank Park. Thomson has casually pushed aside notions that outside pressure is wearing on a veteran group.
However, the raucous Phillies fan base hasn’t collectively enjoyed a first-place team nearly enough during the first half of the 2025 season.
One Weekend For Phillies Fans To Enjoy
Nothing drives excitement in Philadelphia like kicking a rival team and its chesty fans out Citizens Bank Park with a tough loss to swallow.
“It’s a way to establish a measure of dominance for yourself to be able to say, ‘We are the ones who control this division,’ because right now it really is a two-team race.”
The New York/New Jersey flocks of Mets fans unsurprisingly made the trip down I-95 for the rivalry weekend. Venomous Phillies fans met the signature “Let’s Go Mets!” chant with a loud chorus of their local signature: Boooooo!
The home fans watch an exhilarating beatdown in the late innings of the series opener. They celebrated as Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto slid into home plate nearly side-by-side in one of the most bizarre plays anyone in the ballpark could remember.
A one-sided slugfest evened the series on Saturday, but the Phillies grabbed the NL East lead in a critical rubber match.
The Phillies pulled away from the Mets in the late innings of the series finale on Sunday Night Baseball. Fans in the right field stands then took it upon themselves to give Juan Soto the warmest Philadelphia hospitality.
The home fans sometimes bring out their notorious E-A-G-L-E-S chants in blowout losses at Citizens Bank Park. However, the commanding lead evoked the chant with a sense of pride and accomplishment that hasn’t hasn't historically characterized Philadelphia sports.
Will the euphoria of beating the Mets last? The Phillies will face a team with a winning record in five of their next six series leading into the MLB All-Star Break.
They’ve seen midseason series fail to build momentum in past years. Their one-game lead is about as safe as the hectic weekend traffic jams at the South Philadelphia sports complex.
Phillies fans though, for one weekend, allowed themselves to recognize that it’s impossible to win the World Series in June. They enjoyed a series victory against a heated rival who reminded them that watching baseball is supposed to be fun.
