Wheeler Shoves In Start, Offense Gets Clutch Knocks; Phillies Take Series Opener In Queens 2-1
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The Phillies headed up north to New York after their third consecutive ninth inning comeback victory over the Washington Nationals. It was a historic series the Phillies were coming off of as those three comeback victories made MLB history, becoming the first team in history to hit a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning in three consecutive games.
The momentum gained from that Nationals series would be valuable as the Phillies would enter a three-game series against the New York Mets in New York. Citi Field, the Mets home turf, has been a house of horrors to say the least for this core of Phillies. Prior to Friday night’s affair, the Phillies had a 6-22 record against the Mets at Citi Field since 2022, including a 10-game losing streak. It simply has been a stadium the team has struggled to perform in.
Even with all these stats indicating that this series might not be the most fun for the Phillies, with the success the team has had over the last few weeks, it didn’t matter. These Fightins decided to take advantage of the momentum they gained in decimating the Mets the previous weekend and the historic victories against the Nationals earlier in the week to take care of the Mets in Queens.
On the back of a phenomenal Zack Wheeler start against his former team, timely defense, and a lineup that is producing from top to bottom, specifically when it comes to clutch moments. The Phillies took care of the Mets 2-1 to secure their fourth straight victory and their sixth in their last eight games.
The ballgame began with the top of the Phillies lineup taking advantage of the Mets’ starting pitching once again. Trea Turner notched a double, the first of multiple hits on the night. And with singles from both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Turner scored to give the Phillies an early 1-0 lead.
Bryce Harper and Trea Turner were also very important for the Phillies Friday. Both, once again, collected multi-hit nights, and both brought home RBIs. It’s so valuable to see Harper and Turner have the current success they are having because they are the two Phillies with the most on their shoulders. Both have $300+ million contracts, and both have had their playing ability questioned. For Harper, it was during the offseason with Dave Dombrowski’s “not elite” comments, and for Turner, it’s due to the, to put it lightly, poor play he has had this year. For the Phillies to have success in October, and on nights like Friday, those two performing well are pillars to the lineup’s success.
The Trea Turner RBI was not brought about purely from himself. The bottom part of the lineup were key contributors in the seventh inning to allow Turner to cash in.
Derek Hill continues to be incredibly successful in a Phillies uniform. In the bottom half of the first inning, Hill robbed Juan Soto of a game-tying solo home run, a robbery that ended up being huge for later in the game. He then began what turned out to be a crucial seventh inning with a single, before a Bryson Stott walk and clutch Trea Turner single scored Hill to put the Phillies back on top 2-1. Hill has been an amazing addition to this Phillies team, and he’s made his short time in a Phillies uniform count so far.
While the offense was able to take advantage of certain opportunities, they certainly were not perfect Friday night, and this could have been a failed night if it weren’t for the performance from starter Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler came in to face his former team and was his usual dominant self. Outside an RBI single given up in the fourth, and a near home run in the first that was stolen by Derek HIll, Wheeler did not let the Mets get going. He was very efficient, having low pitch counts in many of his innings, including very low counts late in the game. He was able to get through seven innings of work while only allowing one run on four hits and a walk. He earned the win, setting up Orion Kerkering and Jhoan Duran to sit down the Mets easily to secure the victory.
Christopher DeMaio
Christopher is a Delaware County Native and a graduate of Devon Preparatory School, class of 2025. He is currently attending University and is in his second semester. Chris, growing up playing since the age of 4, fell in love with his hometown Phillies and continues that love with listening to sports radio, reading articles, writing for Philly Sports Reports’ Phillies team, and, of course, watching the Phils.
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