The Philadelphia Phillies dropped their second game in a row to the New York Mets, 10-3. What was a close game turned into a blowout, as the Phillies bullpen surrendered six runs in 2.2 innings.
“We haven’t been able to keep the game in check,” said interim manager Don Mattingly on NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think that’s been a little bit of a trouble spot, basically keeping the game in check.”
The Phillies took a 3-1 lead in the fifth. However, Francisco Alvarez struck a three-run homer off Andrew Painter to answer back. That gave the Mets a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish, thanks to the Phillies bullpen.
“Paint gives up the homer on a pretty good pitch after we score. Still 4-3 at that point, right? We keep the game in check. You feel okay.”
Don Mattingly was disappointed the Phillies let the game get away from them after tough spots.
It didn’t help that the Phillies offense didn’t do much either. The club combined for one hit and three walks in the final three innings of the game.
Phillies Middle Relief Struggles Against Mets
The game exposed a rather problematic spot for the Phillies bullpen. Middle relief has become the pen’s soft underbelly, exacerbated by guys having to replace injured relievers.
The bullpen inherited a 4-3 deficit after Painter’s start ended after 5.1 innings. In such situations, the club is not going to turn to their typical late-inning arms such as Jhoan Duran or Jonathan Bowlan.
Brooks Raley failed to retire any of the four batters he faced, walking two and surrendering two hits. By the time Chase Shugart completed the inning, the Phillies trailed the Mets 6-3.
Then came Orion Kerkering’s latest meltdown. The right-hander’s struggles continued, as the Mets scored four off him for the game’s final score. It marked the eighth time in his last nine appearances he’s allowed a run.
“So that middle (relief) not being able to keep the game in check has been a little disappointing,” said Mattingly.
Kerkering was later optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the game.
What’s Next for the Phillies?
The Phillies will hope to salvage a split against the Mets and try to get closer to clinching a Wild Card spot. At 85-70, the Phillies need some help from the Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins to avoid dropping to the National League’s final Wild Card.
In that scenario, they’d have to travel back to Truist Park and face off against the Atlanta Braves. It would be the fifth time this season the Phillies played the Braves. The two teams just completed a series there on September 11-13.
Atlanta won nine of their 13 games against the Phillies, taking three of the four series played between the two National League East clubs.
Their magic number to clinch is down to 4. A loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks to the New York Yankees would drop that number to 3.
The Phillies still have a strong chance of clinching a postseason spot. FanGraphs Playoff Odds still give Philadelphia a 98.1% chance of clinching a Wild Card spot. That number doesn’t account for the Diamondbacks’ result just yet.
Phillies Manager Drops Blunt Statement About Bullpen After Another Brutal Loss to Mets