Given that the Mets are in last place in the National League East and their roster is brutalized with injuries, the biggest story of this series will be about Bo Bichette’s free agent decision from January. The Phillies offered Bo Bichette a seven year deal, worth $200 million but the New York Mets swooped in at the last hour with a three-year deal at over $40 million a season and two opt-outs.
As Bichette stepped into the right-handed batter’s box at Citizens Bank Park, the fans rained boos for each of his five hitless at-bats.
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For the Mets offense, who entered Thursday night’s game ranked third worst in wRC+ at 89 and have the third worst on-base percentage in the sport at .298. Like the Phillies, they have not been able to score consistent runs but haven’t had the pitching health and results to go on a run.
None of that mattered when Juan Soto took a down-the-middle cutter to the right-field seats to give the Mets an early lead.
Two out damage followed when Jared Young hit a dribbler that Nola could not handle. AJ Ewing, one of the Mets best prospects heading into the season, then followed by taking a fastball to the right-center field gap to them a two-nothing lead.
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In the bottom of the first, more shenanigans began as Trea Turner got hit by a backfoot sweeper that hit his well… backfoot. Turner had to exit the game with a right calf contusion.
Kyle Schwarber singled then Bryce Harper grounded into a forceout that put runners on first and third with one out. Alec Bohm then lined a sharp single into center field to cut the Mets lead in half.
In the third, Nola had to face Soto again and threw another fastball down the middle. And once again, the same result happened, a solo home run to give the Mets a three-one lead.
In the bottom of the third, every fan was reminded that this is a Phillies-Mets series and the weirdest was yet to come. Schwarber struck out on a sweeper but landed on first because Francisco Alvarez couldn’t handle the pitch. He threw the ball right through Jared Young at first base that went into foul territory in right field, allowing Schwarber to take second base.
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Bohm then crushed a line-drive down the right field line that Carson Benge could not handle, once again cutting the Mets lead down to one.
In the fourth, the Phillies once again got to Manaea with a Bryson Stott single and stole second base before a JT Realmuto lineout. Derek Hill then slapped a single into center field and Ewing’s throw hit the mound and the game was tied.
Fast forward to the seventh inning, José Alvarado entered to face the top of the Mets order. Carson Benge, another one of the Mets top outfield prospects, lined a sinker into center field for a leadoff single. After a Bichette lineout and Soto pop out, Carlos Mendoza went to his bench to bring out Mark Vientos. After a Vientos walk, Mendoza then hit for Ewing with Eric Wagaman, who smacked a hard single into right field to drive in a run and give the Mets the lead.
Marcus Semien stepped in with two outs and two runners on against the hard-throwing Alvarado. He initially looked overmatched on Alvarado’s fastball but then finally got one he liked on the eighth pitch of the at bat, crushing a ball to Monty’s Angle that brought two more runs home to give the Mets a three-run lead.
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The Phillies and Mets offenses slogged into Devin Williams entered for New York. The shaky closer was in to protect a three run ninth inning lead but nearly blew it.
After an Edmundo Sosa strikeout, Stott worked a walk and then Realmuto hit into a forceout. Gabriel Rincones jr stepped up to the plate and looked overmatched on the first two Williams fastballs but was able to poke an infield hit to put the tying run on base.
Justin Crawford had looked overmatched all night against tough left-handed pitching but against a right hander, was able to poke a changeup into center field that he probably shouldn’t be swinging at consistently.
Kyle Schwarber then stepped into the left-handed batters box with the game on the line. Williams got ahead nothing-and-two on fastball but couldn’t put him away. Schwarber didn’t offer at the down-and-away changeup and Williams threw an uncompetitive fastball for ball two.
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Not looking to make the count full, Williams gives Schwarber a fastball he’s looking for and Schwarber crushed it, 104.6 mph off the bat but the line drive ended in the glove of Carson Benge in right field and the game was over.
There is an off-day Friday because of some little thing called the World Cup and apparently there is a game in Philadelphia. No one said anything until now!
So, Cristopher Sánchez will get the ball Saturday night against Freddy Peralta when the two teams resume their three-game series. Weird to have an off-day on Friday. Really weird.
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