Phillies Use Small Ball Runs To Win Opener Against Mets

The Phillies proved to themselves and the rest of the baseball world that they can win games when the power isn’t there. They played team baseball, stayed patient at the plate, and used sacrifices to move runners along en route to a 3-0 shutout win over the Mets.

In the opening game of one of the most important series of the season, Philadelphia looked to pick up its first series win in September, and they’d have to do so against rival New York Mets in their place at Citi Field. Even though the Mets aren’t playing for a playoff berth, they’d love nothing more than to play spoiler and ruin the Phillies chances to make the postseason.

This game was a pitching duel until the fifth, when Philadelphia loaded the bases, and Bryce Harper came to the plate and grounded a ball to Francisco Lindor, whose only play was to second. Despite being called out on the field, after review it was determined that Trea Turner outran the throw, overturning the call and scoring Brandon Marsh for the first run of the game.

In the seventh, Turner scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Arreaz, and an inning late, Bryson Stott did the same, scoring on a Justin Crawford sacrifice fly, making it 3-0 Phillies. Three runs were all Philadelphia needed as they picked up their second consecutive 3-0 win for back-to-back shutout victories. The shutout was also their 19th of the season, extending their league lead for that stat.

Big Game Nola Delivers Again

Aaron Nola rarely shows any emotion on the mound, but from the first pitch, he looked locked in, in a way that is normally reserved for Red October. Short of two walks to Juan Soto, Nola was in complete control through the first five innings, holding the Mets hitless through then. Though he had a tougher sixth, giving up his first base hit to Nick Morabito, he recovered to get a double play to end the inning.

In the seventh, he gave up back-to-back base hits to Carson Benge and Mark Vientos, getting in trouble for the first real time all night. However, with two outs, Nola managed to get AJ Ewing to ground out to end the inning.

His final line is one of his best of the season and continues his streak of now 10 great starts in a row. Since July 28, Nola has posted a 2.10 ERA, allowing no more than three earned runs in every start. Nola came through when the Phillies needed him the most in tonight’s win, tossing seven innings, giving up three hits, three walks, and striking out four. Nola and Garret Stubbs have been a great battery, and after this game have an ERA under three together. Even if Stubbs isn’t hitting well, this justifies his roster spot.

Phillies Offense Wins With Small Ball

In the first four innings, the Phillies were being held in check by Mets starter Nolan McLean, with the exception of Harper, who had the team’s only two hits at that point. In the fifth, the Phillies started a rally against McLean with a base hit by Brandon Marsh after a battle at the plate, and Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner walked to load the bases. On the first pitch to Harper, he hit a slow ground ball to Francisco Lindor, and the only play was to second, but with Turner getting a big jump with two outs, he beat out the throw, which was confirmed on replay, scoring the run and giving the Phillies the lead.

The second run was also manufactured when Turner was standing on third after an errant pickoff attempt at first from Francisco Alvarez. Luis Arreaz did his job, lifting a ball to center for a sacrifice fly scoring Turner, doubling the Phillies lead.

The third run was scored on a sacrifice as well, scoring three runs on manufactured runs, something that the Phillies haven’t done well all season. The last time Philadelphia had five sacrifices in a game was in August of 2012.

A Game of Emotions

In addition to the playoff feel in the park, there were several tense moments in the game. The first was the delay from the replay, which resulted in the Phillies first run. The second and most emotional moment was in the top of the sixth.

On a slow grounder up the line off the bat of Justin Crawford, there was a miscommunication between McLean and Mets first baseman Jared Young, which caused a collision where McLean’s knee hit Young in the side of the head. In a scary moment, Young laid on the ground motionless. There are moments that transcend the game, and this definitely felt like one of those moments. He was carted off the field on a stretcher, giving the thumbs up as he left the field.

By the time this game came to an end, it felt like a playoff game, with every pitch having a high level of tension built in, and with the added emotion for the Phillies, who are fighting for their playoff lives, and for the Mets in watching a teammate being carted off the field; this game somehow felt bigger than it already is. Jhoan Duran would eventually finished things off in the nineth, striking out A.J. Ewing to earn the series opening win in Queens.

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