Comeback Streak Ends as Mets Take Down Phillies to Even Weekend Series
Brad Penner/Imagn Images
The comeback streak for the Phillies came to an end Saturday evening, as the offense failed to show up.
After taking the opening matchup against the Mets at Citi Field, the Phillies blew a lead and failed to come back from a four-run deficit in game two of the series, losing to New York 6-2, setting up a rubber match for Sunday afternoon.
The Phillies’ offense seemed nonexistent for the majority of the game, as their only runs came on a Bryce Harper two-run home run in the third, which was one of just five hits from Philadelphia. As for New York, their offense was quiet as could be throughout the first five innings, but exploded for four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Alan Rangel was charged with the four earned runs in the sixth, as he ran into trouble during his second time through the order, but most games won’t be won anyway with only five hits and two runs from an offense.
After sitting through just over an hour of a rain delay, the game finally kicked off, and the top of the Phillies put pressure on Mets starter Christian Scott right away. While Scott was able to strike out Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber worked a walk, and Brandon Marsh lined a single into right field, putting runners on the corners for Bryson Stott. Unfortunately, Stott went first pitch hunting and flew out to left to end the first.
The Phillies elected to pull a page out of other teams’ books for their starting pitcher, sending Tim Mayza out to deal with the lefty-heavy Mets lineup. Despite allowing a leadoff single to Carson Benge, Mayza did a good job in the first inning, picking up a pair of lineouts and a groundout to get out of the inning.
After grabbing another out in the second, Alan Rangel, who was scheduled to pitch the bulk of the game, came out of the bullpen for his second appearance of the year for the Phillies. Rangel picked up an early strikeout from Mark Vientos and cruised through the rest of the inning.
In the top of the third, following a walk from Turner, Harper dug into the box with two outs and the known Met killer continued to hold up to that title, smacking a two-run home run to left, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
Two runs were all the Phillies could score that inning, but Rangel kept the lead through the third and fourth innings. In the fifth, the Phillies had a prime opportunity to add onto their lead after Rafael Marchán smacked a single to right, putting the top of the order back up with just one out. However, New York had A.J. Minter up and moving around and brought him in for Scott, and Minter was able to pick up a pair of flyouts to end the inning.
The Mets couldn’t capitalize on the big save in the top half of the inning, as they went down in order, as did the Phillies in the top of the sixth. With the Mets’ top of the order set to face Rangel for the second time, they picked up a thing or two as Juan Soto and Bo Bichette both singled to right, putting two runners on.
Francisco Lindor, who has been quiet since returning from the IL, finally picked up a big hit, grounding a two-run triple down the first base line to tie the game. Following back-to-back walks to Jared Young and Vientos to load the bases, A.J. Ewing smacked a two-run knock up the middle for the lead.
Jonathan Bowlan picked up two outs to get out of the inning, but the damage was already done. Trailing by two with nine outs left, the Phillies needed to work another comeback. In the seventh, things didn’t go that way as the bottom of the Phillies’ order couldn’t do anything.
To make matters worse, in the bottom of the seventh, Benge led off the inning with a single, and Soto brought him in with a triple to right center to extend the Mets’ lead. Soto didn’t stay at third for long as Bichette brought him home on a sacrifice fly, making it 6-2 New York.
The top of the Phillies’ lineup dug in, in the eighth, but Luke Weaver sent them down in order. After a quick bottom of the eighth, and despite it not being a save situation, Devin Williams came on to secure the Mets’ first win in over a week.
Marsh popped out to start the ninth, but Stott worked a walk, putting a runner on. However, Edmundo Sosa lined out to second, and Gabriel Rincones ,Jr. struck out during an uncompetitive at-bat to close out the 6-2 win for the Mets.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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