Clean Up the Bullpen — Series Preview: Phillies at Mets, April 21-23

With a series win over the Miami Marlins, winning two of three, the Phillies, in the whole series, saw the good, the bad, and the ugly.

There were many positives to come out of the series that led to a series win, such as Bryson Stott‘s success in the leadoff spot, Alec Bohm finding a rhythm, and a surge of power within Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. With that, the Phils unfortunately witnessed disappointing aspects of the game that cannot happen again, most notably the bullpen collapse, which they will need to fix up for a big series this week in Queens.

The Phillies visit Citi Field to face the New York Mets for the first time this season, and the first time since getting eliminated by the Mets last October in the NLDS. The Phillies will also, for the first time, see four-time All-Star Juan Soto in a Mets uniform, the biggest pickup for the Mets this past offseason.

Another move that will surely challenge the Phillies is the re-signing of Pete Alonso, a continuous pain for Philadelphia.

To start the season, New York has held first place in the National League East for a large portion of the year with a record of 15-7. Although a collective average of .230, the Mets lead Major League Baseball with an ERA of 2.35, meaning the Phillies’ bats will have to stay hot against the Mets’ pitching.

Struggling Bullpen Faces Hot Lineup

Coming off a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Mets’ bats are on fire. On the opposing side of the field, the Phillies reliever outings have not been up to par, having given up six runs in the ninth inning of a seven-run game, and costing a game Sunday afternoon in the later innings. The Phillies have the second-worst bullpen ERA in baseball, 5.81, behind just the Nationals, who have posted a 7.79 ERA a month into the season

The Phillies need to find a way to prevent these occurrences from taking place, as this series means a lot to both teams. Whether they hope a starter can go deeper than usual, or even leave a starter longer than necessary, or give different relievers a chance, they need a way to keep the Mets offense liminal, which is no easy task alone.

First Place Up for Grabs

Currently, the Phillies sit behind the Mets by two games as of Monday morning. So far, this is the most important series of the year for the Phils. They have an opportunity to move into first place in the standings, or at least inch closer.

New York, on the other hand, needs this series victory in order to create a larger space between first and second place. This series also acts as a huge test, as the Phillies are still very much an elite baseball club.

Game Times and Broadcasts

Monday, April 21, 7:10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Tuesday, April 22, 7:10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, TBS, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Wednesday, April 23, 1:10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, MLB Network, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Aaron Nola (RHP, 0-4, 6.65 ERA) vs. Tylor Megill (RHP, 2-2, 1.40 ERA)

Game 2: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 2-0, 2.96 ERA) vs. Griffin Canning (RHP, 2-1, 3.43 ERA)

Game 3: Zack Wheeler (RHP, 2-1, 3.73 ERA) vs David Peterson (LHP, 1-1, 3.27 ERA)

By the Numbers

• Records
• Phillies: 13-9
• Mets: 15-7

• Run Differential 
• Phillies: 2
• Mets: 30

• Runs Scored Per Game 
• Phillies: 4.68
• Mets: 4.14

• Runs Allowed Per Game 
• Phillies: 4.59
• Mets 2.77

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