Phillies comeback to beat Mets thanks to 2 unlikely heroes
Philadelphia Phillies' Cal Stevenson reacts after hitting a two-run double off New York Mets' Reed Garrett during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
In September, games need to be won. Ugly, pretty, anyway.
The Phillies did it in come-from-behind fashion Saturday afternoon, winning 6-4 over the Mets in front of 44,563 at Citizens Bank Park, and it two main contributors to the win were quite unexpected. The Phils’ magic number to clinch the NL East is now seven.
Kolby Allard started for the Phillies, and like the other men who have tried to fill that fifth spot in the rotation, it was disastrous. He threw 31 pitches in the first inning, loading the bases, and walking Starling Marte for the game’s first run. Then in the third, he gave up another three runs including a two-run triple by Marte. Allard was pulled after three, allowing five hits and those four runs, only three earned, on 67 pitches.
In came Taijuan Walker, the man who was moved out of the fifth spot in the rotation, for the fourth to eat up some innings. And he was excellent. Walker threw three scoreless innings allowing just three hits on 37 pitches. Those scoreless three ended up being huge in the end game for the Phillies.
The big turnaround came in the bottom of the fourth, where Bryce Harper did something he had not done in 37 days, 30 games, and 128 plate appearances, hitting a home run. He hit a first-pitch changeup the other way and over the fence for his first homer since August 9, and his first at CBP since July 27.
Mets starter Luis Severino was very good on Saturday. He retired the first eight Phillies hitters he faced but had trouble against Harper not just once, but twice.
Two innings later, after a two-out walk from Trea Turner, Harper was working a seven-pitch at bat. On that seventh pitch, Harper went down for a 3-2 sweeper and absolutely crushed it 386 feet to right field, making it a one-run game.
I missed watching Bryce Bombs.
Walker’s day was done after the sixth inning. Orion Kerkering stayed dominant in the seventh, throwing a one-two-three inning.
The Phillies started the bottom half of the seventh with back-to-back singles. A successful sacrifice bunt by Brandon Marsh put the runners in scoring position. Weston Wilson pinch hit and struck out, setting the stage for Cal Stevenson with two outs. And just like he did on Tuesday night, Stevenson crushed a 3-2 Reed Garrett cutter a ball off the right field wall for a two-out, two-run double, giving the Phillies the lead.
An inning later, Stevenson’s spotlight shined again.
Jeff Hoffman threw a 1-1 slider to J. D. Martinez, and he crushed it to right center field. Stevenson picked it up as soon as it left the bat, tracking it to the short porch in front of the Phillies’ bullpen. He got to the wall, leaped, put his glove up, and robbed a Martinez game-tying home run.
Welcome to the Cal Stevenson game.
Hoffman finished off the inning on the next two batters, J.T. Realmuto hit an RBI double to make it 6-4, and Carlos Estevez got the save.
Harper’s two homers were of course huge. But without some heroics from Walker and Stevenson, the Phillies may have been looking to avoid a sweep Sunday afternoon. Instead, they go for the series win with Cristopher Sanchez on the mound.
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Benjamin Goldstein
Benjamin has been covering Philly Sports for Philly Sports Reports since 2017. He is a podcaster, writer, and founder of Philly Sports Reports. Benjamin is also an intern at the WBCB Sports Network on 1490AM. Through Philly Sports Reports, Benjamin has gotten the opportunity to meet Phillies owner John Middleton in his suite and be honored as the Philadelphia sports fan of the week for KYW News Radio. Benjamin hopes to be reporting on Philly sports as a full-time job when he grows up.
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